Forbidden Allure
by edward18
Summary: When Lucy notices a cute guy at one of her Goth Mic Nights she decides that he'd be perfect to go to an upcoming dance for the Goths of Royal Woods with. The only problem however is how to get him. Knowing better than to ask her sisters for help she gets Lincoln. But are her feelings for the guy she's after or are new feelings beginning to develop for someone else?...
1. Where My Yearnings Were Born

Chapter 1: Where My Yearnings Were Born

The dimness of the candlelight danced the shapes of the objects in the room across its walls. Their constant growings and shrinkings provided just enough of a continued illumination for the huddled up figure on the bed on the left side of the divided room to peer across the lines of the pages it held. Their musty fragrance perpetually filtered through the nostrils in front of them, the aroma easing the hardships of life and existence while the eyes took in the knowledge from the slightly crusted paper it dwelt on. The quality of what knowledge they viewed might have looked petty or even insignificant to some, but to the one that read it within that abode it was the world. A flood of experience and indulgence into what normality did not allow. A Gateway to what the reader desired. And what they could not have.

An unseen smile adorning her lips, the darkened girl turned the page. But with the flip came another form of a turn. The light that flashed into the room, if ever so briefly, dashed the curve of her mouth from her lips. She didn't need to look up to know someone was there. Even if they hadn't opened the door and closed it she would have noticed the presence. It was loud, uncontrolled. Though they tried to take care in their movement they were sloppy. Their feet just flaying every which way. The emptiness of the vacant room allowed her to notice it more prominently than normal. Even the air changed with their intrusion.

"Lynn, I appreciate the effort to keep from trying to disturb me, but it is sadly a waste," Lucy stated, her gaze still fixed on the book in her hand.

"Actually it's me..." an, only slightly, deeper tone replied causing her to jump within her body. She'd been ready for the response, just not the voice. Pursing her lips she lowered the book just enough so that she could peak over the top of the pages. Flickering in the darkness was her brother smiling nervously down at her, his hands on his hips. "Hey."

"Good day to you Lincoln. How are you on this fairly cloudy hour of our living expanse?" Lucy responded, her book raising back up to overtake her field of vision.

"Oh I'm alright," he said scratching the back of his head, "Um...how...are you?"

"Until a moment ago I was overwhelmed with emotions of distance and ecstasy. Now I am adequate."

"Oh...sorry..."

"It is alright Lincoln. This travesty will mend," Lucy assured him earning a somewhat glowering look from the boy. Even if she swam in the over-dramatizations of her bleakness there were times where he could pick up on sarcasm from her, at least quicker than their other siblings. "Is there something you wished to speak with me about?"

"Well, yes. I was just gonna see if you wanted to come to Gus' Games n' Grub!" Lincoln announced more eagerly than she had been ready for when he plopped down onto her bed. Within her mouth Lucy's teeth clenched at the impact and her grip tightened on her book. After taking a half second to recover from the action she spared a glance at the boy, his hands and knees propping him up next to her like a dog on all fours. For a few more seconds afterwards there was silence while he waited in anticipation for the answer.

"...I assume that this is for us to go play arcade games..." Lucy murmured.

"Well duh!" Lincoln laughed. For some reason the girl found it hard for a smile to keep from forming in the face of his positivity. Even if he didn't notice it, Lucy turned her face slightly more towards the side that he wasn't on. Though short, it was a noticeable amount of time before she started talking again.

"I...I'm reading. It's a very...good book," Lucy told him, "Thank you for the offer Lincoln, but I believe I am content in this endeavor."

"Oh..." he said. Even though she didn't want to, Lucy couldn't help but take another glance at him knowing that she'd see the smile dropping from his face. It wasn't one of anguish or pain or even much in the way of disappointment. Just...normality. "Well, if you feel like the whole book thing isn't workin' out for ya the offer stands," he assured her shooting finger-guns at her as he got up off the bed and started backing towards the door.

"It'll work out fine," Lucy gave her own assurance. For reasons she couldn't quite grasp a twinge of regret swum about her head and as she heard the door creaking closed she added two more words, "But...thanks..." It was hard to tell with the speed at which the door was shutting, but Lucy could have sworn she heard it stop for a fraction of a second before it latched closed. Looking back down into her reading material she fell silent again, but her mind was not so tame. She wasn't quite sure why but she felt a bit bothered by the interaction. Had it been Lynn it'd have been simple to just brush away the conversation, but with Lincoln it was different. He wasn't her annoying roommate. But he was still another Loud. And the difference between the various siblings for some reason singled him out as somebody that was more...more...

Lucy shook her head. The concentration on the interaction had broken the focus of her reading. What was it? Why did it bug her? Had it been literally anybody else in the family that sinking in her chest wouldn't have been there when she saw the smile dip. But with him it was different. How it was and why it was wasn't entirely clear, but it was different. Of course she valued him and his insight. After all, he was the only one that seemed to remember she existed half the time. But he was just another person. And she talked to them all as plainly as possible. Yet...she found herself perplexed. '

Letting out a sigh she forced her attention back to her book. The answer to all of life's problems. The venture through worlds unparalleled by reality and manufacturing. Across lonesome mountains and emptied leaf-littered forests she would travel, the paths carved by the wordings of the scriptures akin to those time had forgotten in distant untraveled woods and valleys. Settings of lonesome purity and solace where she could absorb all the surroundings for the tales that would unfold from those that the creators of such worlds would place.

It was this air of harmony that Lucy found comfort in. The dancing to and fro between the scenarios that played out in her observation of another's dreamscape. Losing one's self to the venture of a new journey. Things that the reader themselves could not be a part of. Could not have. That lust for something unavailable. Forbidden. It drove them. Satiated them. A feeling that no one else in her family could even begin to understand. All of them devoted their time and energy to their various means of entertainment, but for she herself, she found no better way than the experience of a good book. Even if it was from dawn until dusk she lived to dwell within the darkened pages of her novels.

Dusk. DUSK!

"Shit!" Lucy hissed practically tossing the book away. Ripping away the curtains of the window she could see the sun setting in the distance. Not even bothering to extinguish the candles she'd placed around the room she pulled a few sheets of paper from out under her bed, threw open the door, and blazed silently past one of her sisters.

"Woah! Where's the fire!" Lynn exclaimed as Lucy darted out the front door. In confusion she peered into their room noticing all the candles that were set up. "...oh."

"Guess you hot-stepped into that one!" Luan laughed as she popped in from the right with her dummy causing Lynn's expression to flatten.

* * *

Drops of sweat lightly dotted the dark skin of the boy as he danced across the mechanical contraption at his feet. Desperately Clyde's eyes darted around the screen in front of him trying to follow the fast-moving arrows with the motions of his feet. He could feel himself begin to slip out of the rhythm. It wouldn't be long now. But while he could he continued, his tongue running across his upper lip in anticipation.

"It's been a long time coming, but Clyde McBride is finally going to join the rankings of the arcade legends tonight," he insisted. The quickly disappearing arrows lit up less and less as his pace dampened. "Come on..." He could feel the liquid running down from his forehead now, the salt of the drops stinging into his eyes. "Just a little more..." Row after row of the arrows started faltering under the taps of his feet until finally it ended, Clyde's go at the machine reached its conclusion.

"YES! And thus I have now joined the ranks of!... ...no one on the hall of fame..." Clyde murmured glaring at the list of initials that popped up on the default screen for the Dance Dance Revolution machine, "Can you believe this Lincoln? The darn thing must be busted. I gave it...Lincoln?" Clyde had to admit he was surprised that his friend hadn't been commentating at all. After turning around once he stepped off the machine and went wandering about the floor of arcade machines until he eventually came across the snow-headed boy lazily slouched in a seat. Carelessly he shot the light-gun in his hand at the enemies that approached on the screen in front of him.

"Yo Lincoln, you there buddy?" Clyde asked snapping his fingers in front of him. Lincoln blinked twice and tilted his head towards him.

"Huh?"

"I said have you turned into a zombie? Do I need to decapitate you or anything?" he joked. Rolling his eyes, Lincoln gave a half-hearted smile and holstered the light-gun allowing the enemies to overwhelm the screen and kill his character.

"Sorry just...lost in thought is all," he told him.

"What could have you so distracted from watching your best bud become the new DDR champion?" Clyde asked.

"Oh it's nothing. Just...nothin'."

"Come on..."

"Alright fine," Lincoln grumbled folding his arms over his chest, "you're gonna think it's silly but I was just thinking about Lucy. I offered to take her here to hang out and, well, obviously she wasn't having that."

"Wow, you're right. That IS silly. Why would you try to get HER to come?" he laughed. Lincoln's eyelids lowered a bit. Curiously Clyde took a step towards the arcade seat his friend sat in. "Dude, you...alright?"

"I just...want her to hang out and have fun is all..." Lincoln sighed rubbing his arm, "I know she prefers to be alone and everything but...sometimes I just think about how much happier she might be if she were...eh...meh..." Clyde's own expression bent in concern.

"Hey man, I get it, but...that girl just isn't built for that. Heck, out of all of them I'm astounded you'd even try with her. She's so distant and...creepy. She enjoys being alone."

"Does she?" Lincoln muttered. For about half a minute the two just stayed where they were in silence with the beeps and boops of the machines around them blanketing their ears. Eventually Lincoln sighed and hopped to his feet.

"Come on buddy, let's go see if the Space machine's available," Clyde offered as they made their way past a brown haired Bluebell girl with a pizza-box that looked to have Lincoln's face drawn on it.

* * *

"And in these times of chaos and death.

Of much do I suffer and regret.

For in the woods so hallowed known

Do I wind and yearn for my home."

Soft applause filled the floor signaling for the speaker to bow. These were the sounds that Lucy Loud was greeted with as she finally burst into the latest session of Goth Mic Night. Thankfully no one seemed to notice the girl slinking quietly through the crowd. She'd already missed a good portion of participants no doubt, but she had at least made it. In a way she might actually have to thank Lincoln for interrupting her reading. She might have missed the event entirely had her thoughts not wandered due to him. Huffing quietly, Lucy ran her fingers through her hair and eyed the person stepping off of the stage. Though they were similar in height, from her angle the lights darkened his face to a degree that she couldn't quite make out the features.

Seeing her opportunity however, Lucy shuffled her papers around in her hands, got on stage, and walked into the spotlight. With the bright beams dispersing a pale glow around the stage she could now see just what the boy looked like. All at once Lucy froze up. His rounded head seemed to cave inwards at the eyes with how much eyeliner layered the sockets around his eyes. Though young, he was still older than her. Taller at the least. Her chin had to come up to only his shoulders. His silvery hair swept across his forehead from a comb that had brushed it to the side. The clothes he wore seemed to be his gothic best. Black on black. And he was looking at her. Granted everyone was, but his eyes, they connected to her unseen pupils and she could feel her face heating up a bit.

A cough from the crowd nearly made her jump back into reality. Shaking her head she shuffled the papers in her hands. Lucy glanced up for a second to look at the boy again. His attention was now turned to another girl, one that had papers of her own with blond curly hair dangling over her shoulders. She assumed that she was someone that had already had her turn on the stage. But that look he gave her. One of longing and desire. She could feel it in his stare when he'd looked at she herself, but not nearly to the degree that she could sense it when he looked at the blond-haired girl. For the moment however, she forced her eyes back down to the pages in front of her.

"On bended knee

Ore root and soil"

She started just loudly enough for the crowd to listen. Her eyes glanced around, but seemed to always fall back on that boy that had been on the stage before her.

"The snake doth strike

Upon thy coils" the poem continued.

The boy, who had been looking with so much desire towards the blond-haired girl had now shifted his focus back to Lucy who could feel a lump forming in her throat.

"For in the venoms of life's dread naughts

The seams and ends from it doth wrought"

Lucy gazed transfixed at the boy. His lightish hair glistened in the dim lighting making it nigh impossible for her to not find him should her eyes stray. Not that they would. With how his hollow pupils had begun to suck her in that was a not going to happen without effort. There was something about him. A familiarness in form and shape, yet a mysteriousness in the differences from what her mind tried to place them as.

"The death and end this fang it rends

For all that ache it wakes again."

As Lucy's poem finished a silence ran through the crowd of people for a second before it gave its quiet melodious applause. After a bow, Lucy walked to the steps and exited the stage. As she did so she could see the boy watching her every step of the way. She nearly fell flat on her face from almost missing a step due to the nervousness that had overtaken her. Somehow or another she made it down though. Upon joining the rest of the crowd Lucy, trying to break her attention from the staring boy, looked back towards the stage and an older girl stepped onto it.

"Thank you all for this drearily enjoyable night," she said to the crowd. 'Damn it' Lucy thought. She knew she'd missed a good chunk of her planned get-together with one of her favorite communities, but she didn't think she'd been THAT late. "It has been a rather insightful and soulless gathering indeed. But nobody forget, in just two weeks those that can make it are welcome to attend the Royal Woods Ball of The Undead." Lucy's brows popped at the mention of the words. A Ball? Undead? Two weeks? She couldn't believe she hadn't heard of it sooner! Her body trembled at the thought. A dance for those wanting to display their love for the macabre and bizarre? THAT was something that she couldn't chance being as late on as she had been on her arrival this night.

But...a dance. That would mean she should probably try to get a partner. Sure she'd probably be allowed in regardless, but given whom she'd just found... Shakily she turned her head towards the boy that she'd spied in the audience. Apparently noticing her gaze, he looked off toward his own side where he fixated once more on the blond-haired girl he'd noticed originally. And then turned his head to a blue haired girl. Heat washing through her cheeks, Lucy turned her head back towards the stage. In the state she was in when she looked at him she doubted talking was an option. It might end up worse than her attempts at Rocky initially were, memories of the numerous failures darkening her cheeks further. No, what she needed was a plan.

"A plan..." she murmured to herself as she filed out of the building with the various other dark clothed individuals, "...a...plan..."

-end of chapter-

Welp, don't know if this is a good idea or not. I mean it's been years since I've even done a proper fanfic, and no telling if I'll stay interested enough to even keep this continued for very long. But we'll see how it goes. I do got the basic plot of the story thought out and everything, so...eh, we'll see. Hope it's alright so far.


	2. Of Ruined Eggs and Dependable Yolks

Chapter 2: Of Ruined Eggs and Dependable Yolks

The white-haired boy rolled around a few times in his bed. Slowly blood began to pump more quickly through his veins and his eyes cracked open. Letting out a yawn, Lincoln stretched and sat up in his bed in the small reworked closet he called his room. First one eye blinked and then the other, drowsiness still dictating some of his movement and misaligning his body movements. A bit more forcefully he gave a few more well-synchronized blinks and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Another yawn and his feet were flung out over the side of the bed where they dropped to the floor. With his eyelids half closed, Lincoln smiled and prepared his voice.

"Now I know what you're all saying to yourself. And yes, it does get a bit complicated to remember what types of eggs to make for each member of the family in the morning if you have to-" he managed to explain before a loud explosion cut him off and shook the house. Hastily he lunged for the door and caught a porcelain figure of Ace Savvy as it fell off of the desk it'd been sitting on. Wiping his brow he set it back on its resting place and glared at the door. What he was greeted with upon its opening was a scene out of some war movie. The hallway was lined with bits of fire and shards of wood and plaster which seemed to have emanated from one of the various doors it housed, its figure now blasted into bits and its hinges launched into the opposite wall from where they'd held it in place. Lola, as well as her famed pink car, were lodged firmly in the doorway of Leni and Lori's room, the oldest girl herself caught in a coughing fit from the aftermath of the blast and lying in the space near the bathroom with most of her other recovering siblings.

"Lisa..." Lincoln muttered rolling his eyes. The girl in question slowly wobbled out of her and Lily's bedroom with her skin and hair blackened from whatever had transpired; undoubtedly a new experiment of her's.

"I can explain...you see I was just trying to tap into the possibilities for monitoring other realities out there but then a variable was incorrectly factored and, well, you know The Third Law," the four year old chuckled. Those that were aware enough to respond just scrunched their faces in her direction. As the line for the bathroom began to reform Lincoln started towards it but was stopped by a shriller voice that he'd passed.

"Linky!...can you help me?..." Lola whined apparently still in too much shock to turn to face him. She just stared blankly at the frame of the door she was stuck in. Not even bothering to turn around, Lincoln lazily reversed the direction of his walk and paced backwards a few steps to her car. With a few motions of his hands the seatbelt was undone and he lowered the young sister to the floor where she tried to follow him to the line...when her feet would follow what her dizzied brain instructed them to do.

Though remnants of chaos still littered the area, it was dying down to normal enough levels for the household to get back to its default insanity. Lola finally joined the congregation for the bathroom was the help of Lana once she'd pried herself out from beneath a dresser shelf while Luan began cracking jokes about explosive materials to hardly anyone's delight. The door to the bathroom eventually opened allowing Leni's done-up self to exit, whom had apparently been oblivious to the entire event as she just walked over to her door and began honking the horn of Lola's car trying to get it to move out of the way.

The only other one that didn't seem too affected by what had happened was Lucy who'd claimed the spot behind Lincoln and had just been watching everything. With her arms crossed she looked at the door to Lisa's room for a few seconds in thought and then turned her head to Leni, the blond-haired beauty having given up on honking the car's horn due to now apparently being under the impression that she needed to call someone on her phone to get the vehicle towed. Lucy shook her head slowly and looked at the ground. She just continued calculating options in her head with possible solutions to her unknown problem more narrowed now and took a step forward as the line moved.

"-like I was saying, yes, it does get a bit complicated," she heard the boy in front of her say for some reason.

* * *

"Now where are those ding-dang hot dogs?" Lynn Loud Sr. grumbled as he rummaged around in the refridgerator. While the "division" of the sections of the fridge between the kids had certainly been a good idea for THEM, it made things a fair bit harder to manage sometimes, especially when one of the children decided to hide something away for themselves. Whether it be some snack or an entire meal, things seemed to vanish quite frequently in the multi-colored container. "Alright, sorry kids, but you leave me no choice!" the man declared. Viciously his hands pulled pieces of leftovers out from the shelves to get a better look at what lay behind them. One by one his eyes scanned the chambers, sometimes disappointed, sometimes bewildered.

"THAT'S WHERE THE PIZZA ROLLS WENT!" he yelled pulling a sizeable bag out from behind some pickles in Lana's section, "Oh that little...wait what's that?...oh god!" Covering his nose and mouth, Lynn forced the bag back into place to block the smell of whatever had been deteriorating behind it. He didn't even want to hazard a guess as to what the lump of...fuzziness could have been. "You win this one..." he grumbled. Settling for a safer venture he instead yanked the remnants of a bag of carrots he'd bought a few days ago from her twin's section. Instead of immediately tearing through the next section he came to however, Lynn put a finger on his chin and squinted his eyes.

"Now who's this one belong to?..." he mumbled as he tried to pick up any clues as to who the owner of the blackish lit one was the domain of. Lana...Lola...Lily...Lori...Leni... His eyes just narrowed more and more as he thought, his quest for the hot dogs being forced from his mind momentarily. Then they widened. "...why would Lincoln want that color?..."

"What color?" a younger male voice asked causing Lynn to jump slightly.

"Oh hey son, haha...just...well I was looking for the hot dogs when I got to thinking about your part of the fridge. Why'd you want black?" he asked his son. Lincoln blinked a few times and looked at the part in question in confusion.

"...um...I didn't? That's not mine dad, that's Lucy's."

"Oh-OH! Duh! Of course! Lucy!" Lynn laughed, "Sorry. She just always seems to slip my mind." Lincoln shook his head as his dad rubbed his own in a mixture of relief and embarrassment.

"What about Lincoln?" his mom asked popping her head into the kitchen, "oh hi honey."

"Hey mom," Lincoln greeted as he pushed his way through his dad's limbs to retrieve some ingredients from his part of the fridge. When he attempted to remove himself he found it a bit harder due to Rita having joined her husband in his viewing of the black section.

"Lincoln, why aren't you taking stuff from your area?" she asked pointing at the black section. The boy clenched his eyes shut and pursed his lips not wanting to have to explain things a second time.

"No dear, that's Lucy's!" Lynn laughed.

"Oh right!" she laughed herself and slapped her forehead, "You know it'd be easier to remember if it reminded you with a scare!"

"Oh absolutely! Then you'd know who it was for and that it was there!" While the eldest members of the household chuckled to each other about the anomia of the dark girl Lincoln wandered back to the counter to place down some cooking materials. The variety of ingredients that he'd acquired was quite large. Slicing off a slab of butter from a stick, he dropped it into a pan he'd started heating and rubbed his hands together, a confident smile on his face and his eyelids half drooped.

"-but when you're low on eggs that's not even the problem," Lincoln blurted out figuring his parents would be too preoccupied with their conversation to take note, "in those times you have to be ready to improvise. And fortunately, this guy knows his sisters' tastes. And he also knows that his dad ALREADY USED THE HOT DOGS THE OTHER NIGHT." The amplified words that Lincoln tacked onto the end of his speech popped his father's eyes open and he bonked his head against the corner of the fridge's door. The younger male smiled as he set a plate of meat next to the simmering skillet.

"Hey! What's a girl got to do to get some breakfast around here?" Luan yelped popping her head into the kitchen, "my stomach's egg-cited for some funny-side-up yolks!"

"Dad was thinkin' more along the lines of something to do with hot dogs today, but we're all out of that. And the eggs are pretty low too, but don't worry, Lincoln Loud is on the case," he assured his older sister. Giving a sniff to the air once she heard the meat hit the pan and begin its warming Luan grinned from ear to ear.

"Well, I got no "beef" with this "strogonoff"!" she laughed making her way back into the living room. Continuing to rattle of puns and quips with Mr. Conconuts she didn't even notice Lucy sitting on the floor next to the table in the living room that she had her head propped upon her hand on. Normally she'd be skimming through some dreary book, but today was different. As with her presence in the line for the bathroom she just seemed to point her face in the direction of one of her siblings, this one being the "comedian" that was strolling by. Another mention of "angel hair" to describe some stringy substance she was talking about made Lucy wince.

It's not that she didn't care for her joking sister. After all, she had been the "mentor" that had helped heighten her poetic reputation. But when it came to matters of any serious modicum Luan simply was out of the question. All that her aide would lead to in such matters would be comedic failure and embarrassment. Intentional embarrassment at that. Not to mention the type of people that she'd fancy would not at all be in Lucy's scope of desire. Quite the opposite in fact.

And then there was the other attention-grabber. Bouncing her head up and down to some unhearable beat, Luna jammed past. Striking a particularly "inspiring" part of what she was playing in her head, the rockstar of the family lifted her hand and slammed the pick it was holding through her guitar-strings. Clenching her teeth Lucy gripped her hands over her ears. Yeah, that display would be pleasant. Waltzing in with a guitar strapped around her body and painfully forcing her vocal chords to try and yell some sort of reference to some song, the likes of which would probably be lost on anyone around her due to the age of the lyrics.

"Yo brah, what's the good smells for?" Luna's English-ified accent perked up from the kitchen, "oh nice, well guess I'll call the othe-...oh wait, a burger for me? Wow dude truly are a Magic Man. Can't wait!" Pleased by whatever had transpired in the confines of the kitchen she strummed her way back into the living room and plopped herself down on the couch next to Lucy.

"Yo Luce, what up girl?" she asked cheerily, not even glancing at the smaller girl.

"I'm contemplating the futility of the measures we take to impress others and why we should even try," she told her robotically, "as well as the assistance of those that could never understand the issue. Why do we have these needs and desires? What's it all amount to?" For a few seconds Luna actually stopped playing with her guitar.

"...wow man that's deep," she smiled. Closing her eyes she nodded her head. A few more seconds passed after she started strumming the instrument again before she stuttered to a stop and bent her brows in confusion.

"...wait, was that an observation or a question?"

"Sigh..." Lucy muttered. Not showing an indication for an answer one way or the other, she rose to her feet and walked to the steps to ascend to the second floor.

* * *

"Just be sure ya file it for BOTH of ya," Clyde called back over his shoulder. With a satisfied smile on his face the boy walked out of the living room and entered the kitchen of his house. There were few things he loved more than helping his dads out, and with how well versed he was in taxes he had become a bit essential in their management of the yearly assesses. Well okay, he did also love Ace Savvy and One-Eyed Jack more...and hanging out with Lincoln...and...Lori...Lori... Squinting his eyes shut, Clyde flipped the images of the older girl out of his mind. A few deep breaths later and he found himself opening the fridge door to get some cheese and crackers out to snack on.

Yeah, the eldest Loud Sister was a given for his desires. Still, if he had to choose...Lori... Viciously he shook his head. Yeah yeah, Lori. But to choose between his favorite things. Her, Ace Savvy, Lincoln...he wasn't quite sure he knew the answer. To pick a favorite was simply rigged. Ace and One-Eyed Jack had been there forever, but once he met Lincoln his whole life had changed. He finally had somebody to spend his time with. Someone that enjoyed what he did. A partner in crime so-to-speak. His best friend ever. Someone that would always be there with him. The two were practically brothers. The Loud House in its entirety probably wouldn't even object to that notion with how often he seemed to dwell within its confines alongside his friend's actual siblings.

And yet for their similarities there were differences. Confidence. Though rather foolhardy at times, Lincoln's, usually, more bold actions were something that Clyde could admit to a bit of a jealousy for. More often than not Lincoln's schemes tended to blow up in his face at first, but it was his determination and boldness that saw him through and that was something that Clyde simply didn't possess as much of. Even if it meant that people would rag on him and ridicule him, Lincoln went through with his actions, steadfast in his ways. Perhaps it was that quality that made him so appealing. Him not seeming to care as much what punishment he'd have to suffer in favor of what he felt he should do.

At the same time however, it was that attitude that could work against his attraction. Clyde rolled his eyes as he made it into his room and shoved one of the crackers into his mouth. He, nor anyone (he was pretty sure), would ever forget that phase of Lincoln feeling the need to make himself more "unpredictable". He'd nearly contemplated moving into Dr. Lopez's office from the anxiety he suffered from the whole ordeal. For all he'd known he had been losing his best friend. But no, it was just another of Lincoln's hair-brained antics. Thankfully it'd all just been an act. Clyde wasn't sure what he would have done if the boy had actually just up and changed for real. Speaking of Lincoln however...

"Come in Gordon Ramsay, Gordon Ramsay this is Bobby Flay over," the boy's voice piped up over the walky-talky on Clyde's night-stand. He grabbed the device with a smirk.

"I read you loud and clear Bobby, what's the four-one-one today?"

"Well, I decided to make up some breakfast for my sisters but we didn't have that many eggs," Lincoln explained, "So I've been putting together some other things for most of it."

"Sounds good, I'm having cheese and crackers myself," Clyde told him taking a pleasant bite of one of his items, "getting a bit...quite a bit late for breakfast though."

"Hey you try getting it done for ten siblings," Lincoln grumbled.

"Touche. So...whatcha need me for?"

"Well I was just gonna see if you could help me decide what Lori's gonna ge-"

"L-L-"

"Oh right-wait Clyd-!"

"LORI?..." all at once the boy's system faltered. His mind just went blank. If he could see he didn't bother to pay attention. All he could feel was weightlessness and euphoria, the lighter sensation of his body probably being contributed to partly from the red liquid that had begun gushing out of his nose like a water faucet. His mouth seemed to no longer be able to form words. Not that he even attempted to. He was lost in his visions of his friend's older sister.

"I'll just...call ya back...later..." Lincoln's voice murmured sheepishly before it cut off with a click leaving Clyde to collapse almost lifelessly onto his bed.

* * *

"Come on Lola, speed this buggy up!" Lana yelled. The twins' ride viciously swerved to make its way onto the steps to the second floor of the house. Leni just barely avoided getting hit, not that she took any notice.

"...Hi Lana, hi Lola!" she called cheerily to the air in front of her about two seconds after they were gone, bits of rice blowing in the breeze in their wake. The room was filled with a series of bumps and thumps from the ascension of the mini-vehicle. Its occupants rattled back and forth in their seats. Well Lola did at the least. Lana however was clinging to the windshield with her foot on top of the door to her side, a furrowed brow adorning her face. With a screech the car made a sharp turn to the right and sped down the short length of the hall towards the end at which point the more boyish twin ejected from her perch and somersaulted into a run upon hitting the ground. With a bang the door to the bathroom was thrust open and her trusty plunger was pulled into view.

"I-I don't know what happened. One thing led to another and just...it wouldn't work anymore," the older brown-haired girl tried to explain.

"Yeah yeah, tell it to the judge," Lola spat at Lynn, "you're just lucky we're done eating. A few minutes earlier and you'd be having to deal with this yourself. As it is you're keeping me from some valuable fort-ruling right now." Lynn looked to the side sheepishly. In the background sloshing suctiony sounds could be heard.

"Look, I'm a big girl. I gotta eat too," she tried to excuse herself.

"Yeah, but I don't recall the rest of the house clogging it up this much," Lola shot back earning her a glare, "besides, you probably wouldn't need to eat so much if you didn't burn all that energy off with all that ucky sports crap you do."

"Ucky!?" Lynn scoffed, "I'll have you know that that "sports crap" is what makes me better than any of you lot." Lola rolled her eyes. She could already tell where this was going. "Football? Touchdowns. EVERY TIME. Soccer? Goal! Even board games! I own all of your asses!"

"Yeah, that's gonna make you a great hit when you decide to go after a guy," Lola chuckled as she inspected her nails, "hey bro! I can take on an entire baseball team by myself! I could probably kick your ass too!"

"No it'd probably go something more like "hey man, I heard you liked losing! I just so happen to be able to be better at you in EVERYTHING EVER. Not that I hold that against you, I'm just that good. I know I know, you totally dig me"," Lana added joining in the laughter with her girlier look-a-like as she exited the bathroom at the expense of an ever reddening Lynn, "oh, toilet's fine now by the way."

"Yeah, thanks," Lynn growled. The twins could practically see the veins of her eyes slithering about in their orbs. "And just so you know, I could totally get a guy easier than either of you brats could. And he'd damn well know what a fine catch he got. I'd make sure of that!" With a slam Lynn re-entered the bathroom leaving the two younger Loud siblings to glance at each other.

"...was she just trying to prove our point or does she actually believe that?" Lana questioned. Lola shrugged in response. The two were silent for a second before they hopped back into motion.

"Bet you can't build a proper fort out of the sticks lying around the yard!"

"Oh you are on!"

Excitedly Lola and Lana hopped back in the pink car and tore back down the stairs. Lucy could feel her dress flap against her legs from the wind that rushed across her from where they'd passed her room which she was standing by. The display of her sisters certainly did not inspire confidence in her agenda. She lifted a hand to scratch her chin. The entire day had just been a chaotic viewing of the earth-shattering failures that would unfold from her investment in the workings of those she dwelt with. Lucy was so lost in thought that she hardly even noticed her brother pass by with a plate that held on it two hard boiled eggs.

With a closed-eyed smile adorning his face, Lincoln knocked on one of the doors. The low murmuring had been such a part of the background that it'd seemed like complete silence until it stopped after the knock halted and, after a few seconds, the door cracked open revealing a narrow-eyed older girl.

"What do you want twerp? Don't you know I'm on the line with Boo-Boo Bear?" Lori hissed at him. Popping his eyes open, Lincoln simply held up the plate to his sister. Lori blinked a few times and blushed. "...well...yeah, whatever," she grunted as she took the plate and vanished back into her room to resume her conversation with her boyfriend. Lucy shook her head. She wasn't even about to try that one. She very vividly remembered her "golfing" excursion with Rocky, the event of which Lori herself spearheaded. Not that any of her other sisters had lent a proper solution. Just failures. Every. One. Of. Them.

"...sigh..." Lucy muttered hanging on the word a bit longer than normal. That was it then. There was nothing to do. Just a stage to stand on and watch from as she remained on her lonesome. No one way to garner assistance. Lucy turned around to head into her room but backed up a bit after making the rotation. There stood her brother, a plate held towards her in his hands with a substance comprised of black and yellow coloring. Lucy rocked her head about a couple of times and looked at him.

"Don't worry Luce, I'm not gonna pull a mom and dad. I didn't forget about you," Lincoln laughed dropping the plate into her hands, "I didn't exactly have all the ingredients to make everyone's favorites, not that I would have for Lana anyhow, but I had just enough eggs to pass around to those I couldn't do the meals for. I mean...it was supposed to be breakfast anyhow, but...well sushi took a bit longer to make than I was expecting..." Lucy stood there looking down at the blackened eggs. Unseen by Lincoln thoughts were swimming slowly through her head. Not getting a response from her, Lincoln rubbed his arm.

"Well...you enjoy that then. I'm gonna finally sit down to have MY meal," he stated excusing himself to retreat into his room, "And now for that breakfast burrit-YAHHH!" The boy clutched his heart in the spot that he'd jumped back to once he'd latched his door shut and turned to the desk he'd left his burrito on. Through raggedy breaths his vision shook in its display of the dark girl that had somehow materialized in his room in the impossible amount of time it would have taken her to enter and get past him.

"Lincoln...thank you," Lucy told him. His mouth was the size of a penny. He was still trying to regain his composure.

"...y-yeah...n-n-...no problem..." he wheezed. Shakily he stepped towards his desk. He didn't even try to question how Lucy had gotten where she was. With how the household worked it was just something you grew to accept, and his hunger over-rid the desire to inquire much further beyond the nature of their lives. As he reached for the food however another hand grabbed his own and pulled it to the side. Sullen he glanced at Lucy. Her hand seemed to flow with warmth upon contact with his.

"..."

"...I need your help," she told him. Lincoln's eyebrow lifted a bit.

"...with what?...I'd rather not try to raise a body from the dead again..."

"The bite-mark's gone," Lucy pointed out. Lincoln folded his arms over his chest and let the lids of his eyes drop slightly. "...well...it is...but don't worry. That's not why I'm here."

"Thank god," Lincoln sighed, "...so...what is it then?" Lucy's head tilted towards the ground. "...Lucy?" he asked after not getting much in the way of a response. The girl brought her hand to her hair where its fingers twirled some strands between them.

"...there's...this...thing coming up...this...dance..." she told him. Lincoln's reluctant curiosity grew the more she talked. "And...I...saw this...guy...that I...might want to...might want to...um..."

"Go with?" Lincoln suggested. Lucy couldn't look at his smug grin directly.

"Sigh," she said. Lincoln's grin morphed into a more genuine smile as his light teasing took effect.

"Well, congrats," he told her, "so...what do you need me for?" Lucy looked back towards his face. Now it was her turn to rub her arm.

"I...was hoping you...might be able to...well...help me...get him?..." she said slowly. Lincoln shook his head in confusion.

"Me? You're coming to me for this? What about-"

"Lincoln, when has anything that has to do with romantic assistance EVER turned out good from our sisters' involvement?" she asked him. Lincoln opened his mouth to respond but no words came out. His eyes rolled in their sockets until his jaw shut at which point he rubbed his chin and darted the eyes around again. Then the mouth opened to let out an apparent answer.

"...no wait, I just got punched in the eye from that," he muttered.

"Yeah...good times," Lucy nodded. Lincoln just gave her an irritated look.

"Alright, fine. Here's an idea. Talk to him," Lincoln told her. Satisfied in his support he reached for the burrito only to have it denied once more.

"Too risky. It'd jeopardize everything," Lucy rebuked.

"Jeopardize everything?" Lincoln asked.

"I...he's...you see..." Lucy...well it wasn't so much a stammer as it was her way of talking causing her voice to trail off as it got quieter and quieter until she was fidgeting her thumbs together in near silence. It was almost adorable to look at.

"...you're nervous and don't want to blow it with awkwardness," he concluded turning back to face her. The girl nodded. "So you want to find a way to win him over." Again she nodded.

"And seeing as you always have a plan..." she noted. Cockily Lincoln brushed his knuckles across his chest. It was certainly nice to have someone that noticed.

"Well, I am pretty good at that," he admitted, "gonna need a bit more to work with though if we're gonna bag the guy. Anything you can tell me?" Lucy thought through the night in her head.

"He had a round head and was taller than me," she said.

"...and?..."

"He wore black."

"Oh shock and amaze," Lincoln said flattening his expression. With no more words coming his eyes opened a fraction more. "That's seriously all you got?"

"...yes."

Lincoln slapped his forehead. Clearly they needed more information if any "plan" was to be formulated, but how would they get it? Cupping his chin in his hand he looked his sister up and down. Either out of nervousness or politeness Lucy put her arms behind her back and shifted her feet a bit.

"...and this was at your Goth Mic Night thingy?" he asked receiving a nod in response, "...when's the next one?"

"In about an hour. It's a special Friday-Saturday Night double-session. I was gonna get ready for it when you came by," Lucy said. Lincoln's eyes lit up and he grinned as he snapped fingers.

"That's it then," he nodded. He began rummaging around in a drawer at the base of his desk. Lucy tried to peek over his shoulder to see what he was doing.

"What's what?" she asked.

"This," Lincoln grinned pulling out a roll of tape. Lucy cocked her head to the side trying to figure out just what was going through her brother's head. "You got your phone?" he asked.

"...yeah?" she replied pulling it out. Eagerly Lincoln snatched it out of her hand and flipped it to its video-recording mode.

"Before you go in start a recording," he told her putting the device into the collar of her outfit. Its lens rested right in the opening below her throat. The next motions caused a shade of crimson to flow through the girl's cheeks. Without warning, Lincoln reached down and shot his arms up through the underside of her dress. When they'd reached her upper torso she heard a ripping sound from the tape he was holding and his hands began passing the unraveling roll back and forth around her body allowing the adhesive to start strapping her phone in place. The whole while a warmness danced about the girl's face.

She hadn't expected the sudden brushing of the hands. The actions had startled her so much that it was only when the hands were making the final lap around her body that she had begun to regain her sense. With the tape firmly holding the phone in place on her chest, Lincoln's hands retreated back downwards and exited out of the bottom of her dress. Smiling he tapped the phone a few times and gave a thumbs-up.

"See if you can find the guy in there and keep the camera pointed at him as best as you can," he instructed, "once we've got proper footage to work with, THEN we can work on where to go from there." Lucy looked down at the camera and then back up at Lincoln and nodded slowly. Her face was starting to return to its normal color. Happy with the arrangement Lincoln nodded as well.

"...thank you," Lucy told him and departed. Smiling Lincoln finally grabbed his food.

* * *

Well, it's definitely more difficult now to make fanfics than it used to. Just so much more stuff to do now in life. Still, this is pretty fun to do again. And writing for so many different interacting personalities is an interesting setup for the humor and adventures that can come from it. Generally I've been thinking up parts of the chapters at work and then, when I have time amidst all the deviant art stuff, comic-making, and videos I make, working on the chapters on the side when I'm at home.

Got two weeks worth of material to make for this story though given the time limit of Lucy's "Ball" so it should be a sizeable amount of shenanigans to write about before this tale's done. How exactly are she and Lincoln going to get the boy? Will it even work in the end? Or even matter? Well...I know the answers to all of this, but I guess you guys'll just have to keep checking on this story to eventually find out.


	3. Dealings in The Dark

Chapter 3: Dealings in The Dark

In the empty darkness of the confined space a body shifted and turned. Not out of discomfort or the need to feel a more acceptable position, but out of anxiousness. Normally sleep would be at adamant disposal and without much disruption, but, in the early hours of the morning the conscious stirrings had become so overwhelming that rest had been near-impossible. All throughout the night it'd been filled with bouts of awakening until finally the dreams remained at a standstill in favor of the blank staring up at the lid suspended above their face. That's how it'd been for hours it felt like, and it was surely getting close to the time to get up. Behind the dark hair eyes squinted cracked with unease and sleep.

"Sigh..." Lucy murmured. She contemplated grabbing her coffin-mate and lifting them up in front of her, but after thinking about the space that she had to work with she simply rolled over and faced the bust of her adoration herself. "Oh Edwin...what am I going to do?..." Lucy asked the voice-less figure of the vampire, "I know to even toy with the notion of such desires should be against me with our immortal connection, but in this realm of the living it just gets...hard sometimes... Happiness...companionship...as a mere mortal, for the time being, I can not help but yearn for such fulfillment. And yet...could it even work to begin with?..."

A hint of worry quivered in her voice near the end of her sentence. Not even realizing that she did so, Lucy's hand drifted across her body and came to a stop on top of where her phone rested. Since leaving Lincoln's room the night before a flurry of emotions had washed through her. Some expected and obvious, others surprising and in some cases...unknown. Lucy breathed in some air through her nose and swallowed. She hadn't predicted that her anxiousness for the nearing poetry readings would have been so conflicting, but she made it there and performed, this time being able to participate in much more of the event due to having remembered that it was taking place.

She'd gotten on stage and performed just fine. There was no issue in that. No, the problem came more from the object of her goal. It had taken some minutes, and even a flood of doubt, but she ultimately spotted him. The light hair. The round face. Once she laid eyes on him there was hardly drifting from her view of him, and when there was it was instantaneous to find him again. But...was there even a way to solve her dilemma? And the more she hung on the subject the more an emptiness grew within her. The image of the boy...his visual...it was...admirable...but it was just a look. She had no idea if he'd even like her or say yes. And given how he had been that night...was it even worth it? Would she find a quell to her passion? The body. The face. They were right but...

"Sigh," Lucy uttered holding Edwin close to her body. Such worries racked her body. Not as venomously as they had the previous night, but they still remained. And in their wake she found herself questioning whether she should even attempt to remain vigilant in her agenda. All she could feel was failure. She doubted he even knew she existed. But...he had looked at her that first night...right? Yes, she was sure she wasn't just misremembering that. That sense of longing. She could feel it from him there. On the night she'd just gone through though it certainly was a different case. And the emotions she felt...they'd only been at their highest before she'd entered the building.

"It's hopeless isn't it?..." she asked Edwin. Apparently receiving some sort of response she held him apart from her and looked down at him. "...yeah...I do still need to give it to Lincoln...you're right...he always seems to find a way to fix stuff..." A light smile crossed her face before she nuzzled the top of the object's "head" and lifted the coffin-lid to get out.

* * *

"Step, and step, and step, and step," Lola repeated over and over. A bright smile adorned her face in the presence of her captive audience. Fluffy puppets of Rhinos and Elephants and Kangaroos silently watched in awe at the sparkling wonder before them. Some days that was all that she required. But amidst the cotton-filled dolls and soft animals sat an actual person. Even if Lola did admired unabashed adoration it was nice to have someone that could give verbal feedback, even if once in a blue moon...and if their feedback was...supportive enough...

"Thank you, thank you," the haughty girl happily said upon reaching the end of the runway of planks and bowing. The pageant lights and darkened rows of applauding fans disappeared from view as the sun gave way to the vision of the girl's grassy backyard in which her stuffed animals and brother sat, the white-haired boy being reduced to the only one with an audible clapping. Her face brimming with pride, the pageant queen began her strut down the rocks that had been placed next to her runway. As she was about to take the final step though her dress, still partly on the planks, caught themselves on a loose nail. Lola's eyes popped open as she saw the ground reaching up to meet her falling head.

"YAAAHHH!" she cried. Though she braced for impact it never came. A second later she felt something grabbing her arms. With a blink she opened her eyes and looked down at the ground she was hanging over before tilting her head up to see Lincoln smiling at her, his hands around her arms. With an annoyed blush Lola got back to her feet and brushed her dress off. "Ahem...thank you," she grumbled glancing over at a stuffed animal of a Unicron, "at least SOME people can be there for support. And don't think I didn't hear you clapping Unice!"

"Well, you were fine either way," Lincoln told her. Lola grinned sweetly up at him.

"Oh go on..." she said flapping her hand about in front of him. Only getting a small chuckle as a response her brows furrowed, "I said go on." Lincoln rolled his eyes and ruffled the younger girl's hair. Frantically Lola tilted her tiara back into place and gave a sneering look to her older brother.

"You were FINE Lola," he laughed. Lola's pupils fell to the bottom of her eyes as her lower lip puffed out a tiny bit.

"Only fine?" she asked sadly. If Lincoln didn't know her better he'd feel she were on the verge of mental breakdown and a flood of tears. But he did know her better.

"Fine as in as-good-as-always," he corrected placing his hands on his hips, "there's nothing you have to worry about. You got your trophies in the bag. Your walk is straight, your hips are, maybe-forcibly, swaying, and your butt is clenched tight as tight as a constrictor."

"Now that's more like it," Lola snapped, "...and thank you."

"Yeah, no problem," Lincoln mused.

"And now for round seven!" Lola exclaimed hopping back onto the "stage". Lincoln let out a sigh as quietly as possibly and slumped his body forward. Then his eyes lit up.

"Actually Lola...I just remembered something. I've gotta go help Leni hem some dresses," Lincoln declared, a bit more happily than he probably should have. Lola gave him a suspicious look but waved him off.

"Fine fine, I could use some refinement in practice," she reasoned, "carry on Lincoln, carry on." A big smile encompassed his face for a fraction of a second before he bounded off. He would have kept charging away if it weren't for a dark figure in his path. As Lincoln got close to the younger girl he bounced to a stop.

"Uh...h-hey Lucy," he smiled at the slightly shorter girl. She nodded back at him.

"Hi Lincoln," she said, "I was wondering if you could-"

"Don't bother him deary," Lola's voice interrupted diverting attention towards where she was pacing the boards of her runway, "He's off to help Leni hem some dress or something. Right Linky?" Lucy looked back up at Lincoln.

"Er-y-yeah, that's right!" Lincoln agreed forcing a laugh and giving a nervous smile down at Lucy, "See ya guys later!"

"Wait-but I-..." Lucy tried to call after him but the effort was in vain. Aside from how small and quiet her voice was compared to the other siblings, Lincoln was simply too fast for her words to reach him. Within seconds he had paced up the stairs and into the house at which point she thought she heard him yelp.

"Lincoln? Why didn't you tell me that I asked you to help me hem a dress?" Lucy thought she could hear one of her older sisters faintly ask from behind the door.

"Sigh," she mumbled hanging her head. She was about ready to head in after him when the other yard-inhabitant's voice stopped her.

"Oh Lucy! What luck! Linky might have had to scurry off, but what do you think? You want to watch and rate the queen of the pageant?" Lola giggled fluttering her eyelashes in her direction. Though she knew her younger sister couldn't see through her bangs Lucy was able to see her even if she hadn't turned to face her. Had Lola seen her brows that might have given some indication of an answer, but the response had to be verbal for as persistent a pursuer as she could be.

"...no," Lucy told her flatly. She was about to begin her following of Lincoln when, once more, the voice stopped her.

"Oh...well...I guess dad might be finding out who ate all the Blood Orange Cake the other week," the blond-haired youngster told her with an air of smugness to her voice. Her mouth falling open, Lucy put her foot back on the ground and turned. It was slower than it should have been but she unwilling trudged over to where Lincoln had been viewing the pink-clad girl from and took a seat next to the stuffed animals that were scattered about, a light blush lingering on her cheeks.

"Now then, step, and step, and step, and step..."

* * *

"And then Mandee told Jackie "oh em gee!"," the second oldest offspring of the Loud House recited from what her memory managed to cobble together of the interactions she'd had with her friends throughout the week. Truth be told, though she was confident in her words, there wasn't much evidence that her brain could find that confirmed what she was saying had been quite how things had gone. Not that it searched much. What was the point? If it had to spend time searching then by the point it got to expelling the information person listening might be bored or have a followup question as to why it had happened like that. And what would Leni say then?

"But Jackie was all like "nuh uh girlfriend" and then Mandee was like "oh yuh huh girl-FRIEND"," Leni laughed hysterically, "honestly I never knew either of them were even into girls!" Lincoln's stitching slowed to a stop. Blinking out of the trance that had allowed him stay conscious with the story thus far he tilted his head up to the older sibling and blinked again, this time more in disbelieving irateness. He may not have been able to pay that much attention to the ramblings, but there were just certain bouts of the ridiculousness that one couldn't help but react to. If Leni had noticed the glowering look that he gave her she didn't seem to register that she saw it, or understood the meaning to it. With a sigh he just lowered his head back down to the bottom of the dress he was stitching that the girl was displaying on her body for him.

"So, what have you got planned today?" Leni beamed down at him.

"Mhmm..." Lincoln hummed through his lips. Leni gave him a confused look.

"Huh...never heard of that before," she said. Forcing more attentiveness into his being Lincoln shook his head and looked back up at her.

"Huh?"

"Oh, I was just saying I've never heard of doing "Mhmm" before. What's it like?" Leni inquired. Now Lincoln was the one with a look of confusion. Realizing what she was talking about he dropped his head back down.

"No, I-ugh, that was...look I'm not doing "Mhmm" today. I said that because-uh...I...didn't hear ya..." Lincoln stuttered into a sentence and flashed a faulty smile up at her. Obliviously she gave her own toothy smile back to him. "As for what I'm doing...well...I guess I'd planned to play some video games on the TV, but Lola wanted me to rate her performance on pageanting."

"I thought she would be driving her car around her room with Lana," Leni said.

"Me too!" Lincoln exclaimed, "It was just gonna be a nice lazy Sunday but then she goes and breaks the mold!"

"Well if that were the case then I'd be taking selfies in the kitchen," Leni figured, "I didn't even know I'd asked you to help me hem anything." Lincoln's face bent in annoyance. Neither had he, but apparently he had agreed to the previously unknown dilemma thanks to his hesitation outside. On the other hand he was glad to get away from Lola. She wasn't the worst sibling in the world, but after about the fourth waltz down the aisle his patience had started to wear thin. No, he was certainly more at peace methodically weaving the yarn in and out of cloth than he was being forced to sit still and view the ever-pacing younger girl. Besides, there'd be other pageant sessions.

Lincoln's pupils swam around in his eyes for a moment. Lucy. That's right, she was there. He'd almost forgotten about her. If he'd known she'd been coming he'd have used her as an excuse instead of Leni. Knitting with the fashionista definitely had its perks, especially when you got a new clothing item out of it, but Lucy was certainly his more preferred option out of the two. Aside from the fact that she was closer to his height, she generally had much cooler things to participate in when she wasn't buried in a book, albeit sometimes spooky things. It could be helping with some séance or trying to find severed hands in the forest. No matter the material though there was always some sort of excitement to be garnered from the ventures with the quiet girl.

Now that he thought about it she had seemed to want him for something, but his previously conjured meeting with Leni saw to that transaction being canceled. The more he thought about it though the more he regretted not probing for more information. At the back of his mind something scratched at his subconscious gnawing a hole into his memories. There was something he thought he was forgetting.

"YOW!" a cry from Leni cut off Lincoln's attempts to figure out what Lucy might have wanted. Clenching his teeth he looked down at his hands. In the sea of his thoughts he'd accidentally run the needle holding the yarn straight into Leni's thigh. Frantically he yanked it back undoing a few of the stitches in the process. Nervously Lincoln laughed before rethreading the needle and putting it back through a previous part to redo some of the stitches that had come loose. At about the third stitch however Leni's hand took the needle away from him.

"Lincoln Loud, I'm sorry to say, but I'm going to have to stop you," she regrettably informed him, "To properly hem you must be focused and diligent, which, at the moment you clearly are not. As much as it pains me to say this I'm going to have to cut your assistance short."

"Oh...um...okay!" Lincoln agreed with a surprising eagerness, "So...does that mean I can go play some games?"

"I know you wanted to help me out so much, but yes, it would probably be best if you left until you can focus better. You just need to have a clear head, like me," Leni sighed sadly. To her surprise though she found herself talking to no one. Looking around the room revealed nothing aside from herself and the sewing utensils that were at her feet on the ground. Delicately she picked them up and tried to run through her head where Lincoln was. Her mind puzzled on the issue for a good few seconds before she reached that conclusion that her assistant had vacated the room.

"...Bye Lincoln!" she blurted out happily to the air of the room.

* * *

"Grumble. Sigh. Grumble." The words, though lessening in volume, spat from Lucy's mouth with each step she took. She may have been thankful that her forced participation in the audience of the backyard pageant-show had reached its end, but the pain still lingered. The amount of times she had to watch the smaller girl walk back and forth along those planks was incalculable and her own non-enthusiasm much more so. That was to say nothing of the pink dress the tike gowned herself in. Lola may have worn her getup with pride but for Lucy it was nothing if not venomous to view. The coloring alone practically burned her eyes which was only amplified by her sight's captivity during the session.

She was just thankful that it was finally over and that she could return to her own trial. A hand waved across her hip to make sure her phone was still on her. Feeling the object she felt a flicker of a smile flare across her lips, but not enough to turn her ever-present downward mouth over. Aside from not having reached her goal yet, it simply wasn't in her nature to indulge in such displays of joy. That was more Leni or Lily's territory. As she passed the garage she heard some loud music pouring from it, its beat booming into the yard, the sound of which snapped her straight back into her default expression of empty blankness. She had just reached the steps to the door when a pink blur hopped past.

"A thank you, a thank you," Lola said turning around to bow to Lucy as she danced perfectly to the top step. After a spell of quietness she tilted her head back up to see the darker-dressed girl just staring at her before she ascended the steps also. Again her progress was halted when she attempted to reach for the doorknob. There darted in Lola, arms across her chest.

"Ahem," she huffed with a glare, "I said THANK YOU..."

"Uh..." Lucy drolled. She just wanted her sister out of the way at this point. Tired of the pointless seeking for attention, Lucy patted her, perhaps a bit forcefully, on the head a few times and slipped inside while Lola tried to fix her tiara in annoyance. She was going to walk through the kitchen but stopped. A few things rattled around in her head and, now having a reason for the smile that prodded its way onto her face, Lucy turned back around and locked the door. Satisfied in her disposal of the blond-haired obstacle she stuck her leg out, spun in place, and landed into a walk. With the distraction gone it shouldn't have been that hard to find her brother.

Passing through the kitchen she paced right past Lori who, lost in the talking on her cell phone, didn't even seem to pick up on the fact that there was another person that brushed silently past her. Though that could also have been due to Lucy's often present ability to glide in and out of places she desired to be at unnoticed. At times it was pretty annoying that no one noticed her arrival, but on occasion it did assist her during her more sneaky moments. That's not to say though that she didn't revel in the periodic scare of one of her siblings. Hearing the eldest sister still eternally jammering into her device Lucy held her arm up as she came to the doorway leading to the living room and slammed her fist into the cabinet next to her.

"YA!" Lori yelped causing a smile to return to Lucy's face. Content with her work she proceeded through the opening to the next room while some other banging sounds started from the door of the kitchen. Though normally a means for either non-reaction or annoyance, Lucy was happy to be greeted by the sounds of the bleeps and bloops of one of her brother's video games. She could see his form hopping up and down on the couch as his body tried to futilely assist in instructing the character on the television. It was almost adorable how he fought with the controller.

"Come on-...COME ON!" he groaned tapping furiously at the piece of plastic in his hands with his thumbs. Each tap seemed to resonate with a somewhat high pitched "bleep" which continued on in a repeated a fashion until a low but loud "bloop" sounded at which point he tossed the controller into the air. "Are you serious!?" Lincoln fumed before having his head bonked a little lower from the controller that fell back down on it. In a mixture of anger and pain he winced at the impact. All he could do was stare at the TV screen that was flashing the words "Game Over" at him and slump back into the couch cushions.

"Hey."

"AHHH!" Lincoln screamed. Out of panic he picked up a pillow from one end of the couch and threw it at the source of the voice. Unaffecting its target, the pillow dropped to the ground without a sound leaving Lincoln staring at Lucy's face. Clutching his chest Lincoln's eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped into a position between sitting and lying on the couch. "God!...why do you have to do that?" he sighed.

"...sorry." Lucy apologized quietly. That scare had been an accident. It took Lincoln a second or two but he shook it off and gave a half-hearted smile. He patted the seat next to him as he sat back up. With a nod Lucy hopped up onto the couch and sat in the middle of it.

"It's fine. Not like I shouldn't be used to that by now. And sorry about...ya know, Lola. Seemed like ya wanted something out there but I...Leni...eh...," Lincoln said. Lucy nodded. "So...what's up?" Somewhat offput by Lincoln's unknowingness, she pulled out her phone and held it out to him. The boy looked it over a few times before it clicked and his eyes finally widened. "Oh! Woah! I can't believe I forgot!" he laughed, "right the Goth Mic thingy. Well I guess let me see what you got-"

BANG! Both kids jumped in their seats from the sound that echoed from the kitchen.

"Where is she!?" Lola's voice screeched. Had Lucy still been facing Lincoln he'd have seen her mouth drop open.

"Wha-whoa!" Before Lincoln could get out a sentence he was on his feet and being dragged quickly to the stairs, Lucy's hand in his. "Wha-what's going on?" he stuttered through his vibrating body as he was pulled up the steps.

"Do you really want to be between her and whoever she's after when we're doing this?" Lucy questioned. She could just barely make out the tiara of the little girl as she yanked Lincoln around the corner at the top of the staircase and pulled him into his room. In the split second that he was practically thrown onto his bed Lucy had somehow managed to both close the door and prop a chair up under the handle to keep the object shut. In somewhat of a daze Lincoln shook his head from side to side slowly.

"Wow, good call," he admitted as his eyes swirled back into place. Lucy would've probably given a small smile at the compliment if her mind weren't more filled with concern over who Lola's target probably was. If worse came to worse however she knew places to hide within her brother's room. And if she couldn't get to them in time there was always the option of playing dead. The backup ideas gave more leniency to her worry allowing her to drop back into a more casual mentality. Having calmed a bit she got up on her brother's bed and got out her phone. Out of the side of her vision she could just barely make out Lincoln twiddling his thumbs where he sat while she flipped through the device.

"So...how did the thing go last night?..." he murmured trying to break the silence.

"Well the camera wasn't focused during a few minutes but-"

"Oh, no no. I mean...did ya have fun or-?..."

"Oh...y-yeah. It was okay..." Lucy replied now understanding what he was asking about. She hadn't expected any interest into how her enjoyment of the event itself was. To be perfectly honest she hadn't had too much time to pay attention given what she'd been trying to accomplish throughout the night. But it was...nice to have someone ask. With a low "bleep" from her phone the video-library opened up and she opened the first recording on the device before handing it to Lincoln. Somewhat intrigued by what he might see, he grabbed it and watched.

"Oh Edwin, on the matters of forbidden love I know not the path yet." ...that didn't sound right. "But should I venture into such passion I have faith that I'd have the experience of a thousand generations. Be it not now nor in this home, but I know that these fantasies of darkness and lust-" Her face a furious shade of red, Lucy snatched back her phone and nearly broke it in her attempt to shut the video off. She'd completely forgotten that, in thoughts ignited by the readings that night, she'd made one last recording before attempting to sleep.

"Uh..." Lincoln's voice droned as Lucy quickly selected the video prior to the one she'd just showed Lincoln. Flustered beyond compare, she pushed the device back into his hands and folded her arms over her chest, her face looking away from him. Clearing his throat, Lincoln sat and watched. At first it was just blackness. Blackness that seemed to move. Over the course of the next half a minute the darkened mass gave way to shapes. Some swaying, some motionless. In the distance he could make out hushed noises and a dampened voice. The longer the video went on for the clearer the audio became until the poem being spoken on the stage reached his ears. Whatever it was, good or bad, just became background noise to him as he tried to look through the people that the camera seemed to constantly swing around in the owner's apparent attempt to find someone.

"So...how long did it take you before he popped up?..." Lincoln asked, "I mean...I'm assuming he was there and that you're not just showing me this for nothing."

"Oh right..." Lucy murmured grabbing the phone. She moved the marker in the time-bar at the bottom of the video to manually track down their specimen. "Sorry about the shaky-cam," she apologized while her fingers worked, "I guarantee you that if I were doing a ghost-movie it wouldn't be this nauseating."

"Well...not for THAT reason at least," Lincoln added. Lucy grinned. At least some people could respect her expertise. Her teeth disappeared soon though as she saw someone quickly step onto the stage in the video. Flicking her finger back a tiny bit she rewound the footage to where the person was first visible when a loud banging noise rocketed through the room. Both kids looked at the door. Another bang vibrated the chair keeping it in place and they looked at each other. Giving a beseeching look to Lincoln, Lucy sprung onto Lincoln's desk and shoved her body into one of the shirts he had hanging above it. Lincoln looked in confusion at the article of clothing that a ball of black hair now sprouted out of the top of until another bang shuddered the room.

"Lincoln! OPEN UP!" he heard Lola bark. Grimacing worryingly he looked at Lucy's hiding spot once more before hopping to his feet to pull the chair out of the way. He was about to open the door when one final bang slammed it open allowing the blond child to fall face-first onto his floor. "Buh!" she spat as she got back to her feet and shook her head.

"Uh...hey Loes...what's up?" Lincoln tried to greet cheerily. One venomous look from her saw to the end of that.

"Nothing much, just...looking around for someone..." she growled scanning the room. Everything seemed to be in order in her brother's dwelling. His usual bedsheets adorned his sleeping structure with Bun-Bun atop them. Just to be sure she bent down to get a look under the bed itself. All that was present were a pair of shoes and one of his model space ships. And on his desk sat, what she presumed to be, a new Ace Savvy comic. Grumbling something under her breath Lola started for the door when something caught her ear. Lincoln noticed it too. The phone on his bed. There was a poem coming from it. Knowing now that he'd been caught up in the middle of something unfavorable he pursed his lips as Lola's eyes shifted to him, daggers ready to launch from them.

"You..." she said quietly, her eyes narrowing causing a lump to form in Lincoln's throat, "...sly dog. You're trying to find a poem to impress some girl aintcha?" Lincoln would've breathed a sigh of relief if that didn't chance changing the imposing imp's attitude. As it was he just kept his breath held and forced a doubtful toothy smile onto his face.

"Oh yeah, you know it!" he chuckled nervously. Lola winked at him.

"Well I'd love to stay and hear what you've come up with, but right now I've gotta find a certain Dead-Girl," she scoffed. Lincoln blinked.

"Wait, by dead do you mean how they look or are you gonna-" Lincoln's words were lost on Lola as she slammed his door back into place with her exit. Puzzle pieces were coming together in his head when another voice suddenly sounded next to him.

"Thanks. That was-" Lucy stopped and stared at Lincoln who's face looked like he'd bit down on something a bit too hard. Slowly he sucked a stream of air through his nostrils and breathed it back out before popping his eyes open and glaring at her. "...sorry."

"...it's fine, it's fine," he said putting his hands up in the air next to him, "let's just...get to this." The two got back onto the bed where the person on the stage that was reciting their poem seemed to be coming to the end of their display given the tone of their voice. Sure enough as the two returned to their spots Lucy and Lincoln watched him take a bow and make his way towards the end of the stage where he exited. He didn't leave the line of view though as the camera kept following him.

"So this is the guy that-" Lincoln started to say but stopped once he saw Lucy and lowered his eyelids, "...you comfy?" Lucy cocked her head to the side and looked down once she saw his pupils drop. Despite her normal legs her body was now garbed in a prominent orange coloring. As if to test the clothing she pinched the ends of the sleeves of the shirt that she had forgotten to slip out of when Lola left and flapped them up and down.

"...yeah it is a bit roomy," she nodded, "...could work as a night shirt...just need some black paint." Lucy grinned at him and he rolled his eyes. Playing could wait though. Hastily Lucy pulled herself out of the shirt and brought her eyes back to the video that was playing with Lincoln. "Yeah...that's him..." she told him in a hushed voice. Lincoln put his face near Lucy's to get a better look at the subject.

The boy bobbed up and down through the crowd until he came to a stop about halfway through the audience. As the next person got on-stage the camera made its way closer to where he was and positioned itself so that it got a good shot of his profile. Now able to analyze the features of his face Lincoln put a finger to his chin. For some reason he seemed a bit recognizable. He certainly stuck out amidst the crowd of dark-colored hair that surrounded him on the heads of his associates. Looking to his sister he could tell his viewing of the boy paled in comparison to her silent gaze. She looked practically hypnotized.

Minutes passed as the two Loud siblings watched the video. Poem after poem flooded across the stage, their rhymes giving way to the mechanical applauding upon their cessations. And in this background of rhymes and elegies the two sunk their senses into the scene of the young male. His cheeks, his hair, his eyes, his contours. Everything. More often than not though it became a bit of an issue to stay focused on the features with how often he turned his head. His mind seemed to be fixated on someone in the audience. But never once did he look towards the camera itself.

"Sigh..." Lucy said absentmindedly. Lincoln looked at her. She definitely had her attention set on the guy.

"Would kind of be nice to get a face-on view of him, but I think I got the gist of his looks," Lincoln told her, "Not much of a display of what he might like or anything though."

"Sorry, would've probably gotten his full face if I'd been on the other side of him," Lucy replied tucking her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, "the whole time he just kept looking at the blond girl though." Lincoln's brows rose.

"...blond girl?" he asked.

"Oh right...I didn't tell you. There were these two girls aside from just me that he looked at that first night," Lucy explained, "But this time all he did was focus on one of them. He didn't even glance at me or the other one even though we were in the audience." Lincoln looked at the video then back at Lucy and paused the footage. Somewhat perplexed Lucy looked at him.

"Okay now you see, THAT is information. THAT would have been good to know last night," Lincoln pointed out. Anxiously Lucy rubbed her arm. "Anything else you can tell me?" he pressed. Lucy put a finger to her lip.

"He uh...well...hm..." she thought. There wasn't too much else that she thought she could muster about him. The girl he'd been looking at though... "she had a guy she was with."

"...what?"

"The girl he kept looking at. The blond-haired one. The first night we were all on our own, but last night she showed up with this guy that she had her arm wrapped around. Ever since then he just hasn't even bothered looking at any other girl it feels like," Lucy said, a bit of dejection in her voice. Feeling the hopelessness she had felt prior to getting out of her coffin that day she tilted her head down towards her lap. Lincoln however wasn't quite so undone.

"Well, guess that explains it," he chuckled. Lucy looked him over in confusion. "Yeah, that makes this simple. Well...unless you, ya know, plan on just TALKING to the guy."

"Not an option. It'd jeopardize everything."

"Of course it would," Lincoln replied in amusement, "Well okay, fine. Got the answer for your plan then."

"You do?!" Lucy would have yelped if her monotone vocal chords would've allowed it. What could he have possibly garnered from their meeting? A warmness had begun bubbling up through her throat and into her face.

"Sure," Lincoln laughed, "Make him jealous." And the bubbling stopped. Whatever harmony had been filtering through the girl started dispersing back down making way for confusion and tension.

"...jealous?..." she repeated. Lincoln nodded.

"Duh. He wants the girl cause she has a boyfriend now. She's not available so he can't stop thinking about her," Lincoln deduced for her. Behind her hair Lucy's eyes widened.

"Of course, why couldn't I see it? The forbidden fruit..." she said thinking through the assumption, "the wanting of that which one can not have. That which drives people to ruin and insanity..."

"Uh...yeah..." Lincoln drolled at Lucy's overdramaticness. Feeling that his results were satisfactory he shrugged his shoulders and hopped off his bed.

"...how do I do it?" Lucy asked. One of Lincoln's brows bent down while the other raised.

"Do it?" he asked.

"How do I make him jealous?"

"Um...have someone play your boyfriend and show up with them," Lincoln told her. For being so well-read she certainly needed to work on picking up on hints better. It didn't take a Lisa to figure that one out.

"Boyfriend?..." Lucy said slowly. Nodding, Lincoln smiled and started for his door, finally free to resume his video games...well...if no one else had claimed the television in the meantime. Not that it'd matter though, for as he reached for the doorknob to his room Lucy voice stopped him once more. She must have wanted to run her own conclusion by him.

"You're a boy," she stated. Lincoln's lip rose towards his nose.

"...yes...yes I am...I'm pretty sure everyone in the household's aware of that," he said a bit more dumbfounded by the apparent revelation. Knowing there must be more to the claim than that he turned around but immediately backed up wide-eyed and hit the door. Lucy was standing centimeters from him. "What the hell! How-You did not sound this close!-"

"You can be my boyfriend."

Lincoln's words stopped. They didn't fade away, a syllable wasn't choked off. It just...stopped. There was noise and then there wasn't. If there'd been a breeze in the room it would have sounded like a thunderstorm in the wake of the quietness that overtook the duo. Lincoln's eyes did not shrink in size at all. In fact, however impossibly, they felt like they grew even more. Time verged on the tip of motionless in that moment. He didn't know if it was just how cut off his room was from the rest of the household at the moment or if he'd gone deaf, but any semblance of noise seemed to fade. All he could do was look at his sister and repeat the words she had spoken in his head.

"...Lincol-?-mfffMF!" Lucy's voice became muffled from a stern hand that clamped over her mouth and held her in place. After looking around hesitantly to see if there was any way for anybody to be eavesdropping Lincoln put his face up to hers and looked her dourly...well..in the hair, but he was certain that's where her eyes were located.

"You. Me. Garage. NOW." he stated. It took a few seconds, but Lucy nodded her head. Now Lincoln was doing the pulling.

* * *

"Sorry, I'm not sorry for being Proud!" the faux-British voice echoed throughout the confines of the garage and blurred into the yard beyond. Viciously the brown-haired guitarist tore through her instrument like a knife through hot butter, its symphonies vibrating the shelves of the chamber she performed in. "Play it loud!" This was the type of sensation that Luna lived for. The constant jolting of the beat and the rhythm pumping through one's veins. Seeing the whole world blur into a duology of images from the pulses that rocked the body about.

"Turn it up until your speakers blow out!" she sang. She could have sworn she felt Vanzilla jump outside.

"Until your speakers blow out!" she yelled.

"UNTIL YOUR SPEAKERS BLOW OUT!"

BZWEEEeeeoooooochhhhhh...

Luna Loud blinked and looked down at her equipment, smoke now wafting up from its openings. Laughing she waved her hand in front of her face to make it easier to breathe. "Wow dude, guess I'm harsher than I thought! Ah well, it was about time for a new one anyhow...but, eh, one more time from the top!" She was about to thrust her arm down into the strings again when a "thunk" broke her concentration. She eyed the door of the garage as two smaller figures filed in, one pulling the other by the hand. Luna smiled at them.

"Hey dudes, what's the haps?" she greeted.

"Hey Luna, we uh...need to use the garage..." Lincoln told her, "Like...now."

"Use the garage? What for brah?" she inquired strumming her guitar a few decibels lower than normal, "I was kind of rehearsing. Getting towards the end but still. You dawgs can start on whatever it is while I'm finishing up."

"We uh...were gonna..." Lincoln tried to hurry his thoughts along to make it seem genuine. He looked around the room with his eyes, then at Luna, and then at Lucy. "Summon that ghost that was that was complaining about Lori when she moved out here!" Lucy's head perked and turned to see his forced smile.

"Oh, uh...well you guys...have fun then," Luna muttered, "I don't need hear more about that incident than I already have..." The smoke was almost completely cleared by the time Luna got to the door and made her exit, guitar still strumming in her grip. Immediately Lincoln shut and locked the door behind her.

"Why didn't you tell me we were going to try to summon a ghost?" Lucy excitedly asked clasping her hands together, "I'm gonna need-"

"That was an excuse Lucy," Lincoln glared at her, "I brought us out here so no one else would be able to hear us." Her smile dropped alongside her hands.

"Oh..."

Lincoln flipped off the lights, grabbed a lamp strung to the top of the room, dragged it over to where she had been standing, and turned it on. She had to put her hand up to block the illumination while her eyes adjusted to the sudden fixated brightness.

"Alright Lucy. Now...WHAT did you say to me in there?" Lincoln asked, a hint of accusation in his voice.

"...that you could be my boyfriend," she answered. Lincoln could feel his teeth bite the inside of his lips while his hand met his forehead. As it traveled down his face his mind soothed to a more manageable state. Looking down at Lucy he could see no discernible difference in her own face. Just that blank unseeable stare. With a sigh, Lincoln rubbed his temples.

"...Lucy, when I explained that to you I did not mean for you to pick me," Lincoln told her. She blushed a tiny bit as he grabbed her by the arms, "I was helping you figure out the problem. I'm not the ANSWER to it. Why not, ya know, Rocky or...who was that guy?-Silas or whoever? Why me?" Lucy bit her lip. She knew the answer, but she wasn't ready for the interrogation.

"Lincoln, think about it. If I went with one of them how would they feel when they found out I was just using them to get to him?" she asked back. That made Lincoln's head turn in contemplation. Yeah. He hadn't quite thought of that. Would be a pretty dick move to pull. Still...

"...well how about Clyde? We can-"

"Clyde?" Lucy asked, "Clyde?...ha ha... ha ha... ha ha..." Lincoln squinted his eyes in annoyance. Had it been a normal laugh it'd still be irritating, but no, this was Lucy's laugh. The robotic repeated sounds on loop.

"Okay, well what makes me any different than him? I'm just as happy-go-lucky," he smirked at her. The laughing stopped.

"...we can work on that. We can...shape you into being my "partner" before we have to put you into action," Lucy responded.

"And you can't do that with Clyde?" he prodded. Lucy's mouth formed a small frown. She didn't know why she had an issue with him trying to get out of it. It was something she'd somewhat expected. Maybe not to this extent, but it was a natural reaction.

"...not as easily," she murmured not sure whether she was telling the truth or not, "I watched both of you trying to overcome your fears when you took up the deal to go to that haunted house thing. He had it worse." Whether she was right or wrong it got Lincoln to hang his head. In her chest she felt a pang of something pulse. She didn't mean to upset him or anything.

"Lincoln...please?..." Lucy asked him quietly. He jumped feeling her fingers brush along his cheek. Bringing his head back up he could see her face staring into his repaying him with his own blush. "I need YOUR help...you know me better than possibly anybody...you support my interests...you keep my secrets...please..." Delicately she grabbed his hands and held them at about the height of their chests. "I'll...I'll do whatever you want. I'll break Lori's knuckles for you. Do you want me to break her knuckles? I'll do it."

"Wha-WHAT? No! I don't want you to break anybody's knuckles!" Lincoln exclaimed grabbing his hands back. Lucy's hands leapt after his but as he backed away they fell short. Sadly she hung her head knowing that her chances to convince him were vanishing. But that didn't seem to matter. For some reason or another a different dilemma had worked its way into her subconscious. Had it been others that she interacted with, even the rest of her family, she probably wouldn't have cared how they viewed her. But now Lincoln probably thought...different of her. That she was...creepier for these requests. For some reason that was a line she wasn't too keen on being on the other side of.

Lincoln meanwhile looked back at his younger sibling, one of his hands nursing the other. This whole thing...why? Why him? This was not what he had signed on for. But...Lucy. There she stood, her head to the ground and her shadow cast beneath her. Just standing there...silently. But it wasn't an prosecuting presence. More of...more of a disappointed one. Loneliness and emptiness seemed to encompass the light she sulked under. And in that display Lincoln couldn't help but feel his heart dip a bit. Had he been too distasteful?...Perhaps...After all, it would be just playing along with his little sister. Just another plan to orchestrate. Sighing he looked down at his hand and allowed a sympathetic smile to worm across his lips.

Lucy was still battling back and forth with her own thoughts when she felt a hand grab her shoulder. Still worrying somewhat she looked up to see the surprising sight of Lincoln smiling down at her light-pink face. Viewing his calm expression she wasn't sure what to think. He certainly seemed more at ease than he had been half a minute prior but...

"...alright alright..." Lincoln sighed hoping that he knew what he was getting into, "it's...it's fine Lucy...look...it's not the most...comfortable notion in the world but...yeah...yeah...sure...I'll do it." He could see the diameter of her mouth widen as the words came from his. Showing his teeth in his smile now he stroked her hair, "...don't worry...your big brother's got your back...oof!" In the back of his head he was thinking it might turn into one, but he hadn't expected the hug to come so suddenly. It was certainly the tightest he'd felt Lucy squeeze before. Happy just to see her in better spirits he hugged her back burying her already resting head deeper into his neck. Time slowed as they stood there in their embrace, Lincoln's scent calming her nerves.

"...thank you..." Lucy said quietly.

"No prob."

"...I'll get the knuckle-crackers ready..." she told him. Lincoln glanced at her grinning face.

"Again, no," he reiterated. Her smile grew. They weren't sure how much time had passed before they split but when they did Lucy's face was tilted downwards, mostly to hide the fading color on it. Lincoln rubbed the back of his head and gave a cough.

"So...when should we start the...uh..."shaping" me?" he asked flipping on the lights of the garage and bathing the room in seeable shapes.

"Tomorrow," Lucy replied making her way towards the door, "We've got quite some work to do to get you ready."

"Assuming you don't just do the sensible thing and get someone else," Lincoln added joining her, "Or, ya know, TALK to the guy." He shot a suggesting smile down at her but only received a blank face in response. "Yeah yeah I know, jeopardize whatever," he sighed shaking his head. Lucy smiled as he opened the door for them. What awaited them dashed the happy look from her face.

"THERE YOU ARE!" the pink-clothed girl yelled jabbing a finger at the two, "Luna was right!". Lincoln and Lucy's mouths fell open before they turned to each other, their teeth clenched. In silent agreement they turned to flee back into the garage but it was too late. Somehow a row of stuff animals had appeared behind them to block their path. Whirling back around they could see that their fluffy colleagues lined a ring from Lola to the walls of the garage. In anticipation for whatever torment was approaching them Lucy and Lincoln grabbed each others' hands and squeezed tightly. Their eyes grew as Lola advanced.

"Uh...Loes...wha-what's this about?-" Lincoln stammered. He may have figured out who she was after, but for what cause he wasn't sure.

"What this is about is THIS bitch here LOCKED ME OUTSIDE!" she spat fuming at Lucy. It may have been hard to figure out what Lucy was thinking sometimes, but Lincoln knew her well enough to know that she was legitimately beginning to worry with how he saw the muscles around her mouth and throat moving. Nervously she grimaced. Lincoln gave her a skeptical look causing her to shrug slightly upon noticing. She clearly didn't know what to do or say. And with each stomp of tike's feet the time they had lessened.

"Uh..." Lincoln gulped, "I'm sure she didn't mean to-"

"Oh bull shit!" Lola growled, "I was coming in RIGHT AFTER HER. I had to punch that thing about twenty times before it would open!"

"...yeah...probably should have barricaded it..." Lucy mumbled. She must have said that louder than she thought as she saw Lincoln look at her in disbelief while Lola's mouth opened even more displaying nearly all of her clamped teeth. She could have sworn the world had begun to rock about with each step Lola took.

"Look Loes! She uh-she was supposed to come help Leni and me!" Lincoln interrupted frantically. Lola's angry expression started to shrink as did the speed of her approach. Her brows bent clearly questioning the claim's validity. "Y-yeah, she...ya know I was about to talk to her but then you rushed me inside..." Lincoln tried to elaborate. Needing time to think however he gave Lucy's hand a squeeze.

"Y-yeah..." Lucy joined in getting a more angry look from her younger sister, "I...I needed to go but you...you kept me there and I...I just wanted to make sure you didn't delay things even further...I'm sorry..." The shuddering of the world and rage-instilled atmosphere faded. Slowly, but surely, Lola came to a halt inches from the pair. Reluctant to return an appropriate response she fidgeted her feet around under her dress and folded her arms.

"Yeah well...I'm still pissed about the whole locking-me-out crap..." she grumbled. Giving the two a glowering look she softened a bit. "...ugh alright fine...yeah, I know I can...be a bit much sometimes but...eh...yeah sure. But you BOTH better be ready for some more pageant-time in your futures," she threatened superficially. Lucy and Lincoln looked at each other somewhat disbelieving that they were making it through unscathed. Not wasting any time they apologized again and darted off through the crowd of stuffed animals leaving Lola to start picking some up, though her face still held signs of annoyance.

"Yeah...guess you do got my back..." Lucy said with a smile. Lincoln winked back at her. But when they opened the door to the house another obstacle presented itself.

"Lucy! How could you be so rude! Why didn't you come help Lincoln and me earlier?" Leni asked in what seemed to be irritation. Lucy shook her surprised face and looked at Lincoln.

"Well...mostly got your back..." he chuckled lightly. Lucy gave him a defeated smile.

"...at least it's not as bad as Lola," she conceded with a shrug. Smiling the two younger siblings followed their older one inside to lend their apparently scheduled assistance.

-end of chapter-

Wow, did not think this one was as long as it turned out. Just kind of got lost in typing the second half of this chapter. Don't think it turned out exactly how I'd envisioned it in my head, but things change as they go sometimes. I know the garage bit was not there at first. But I usually do have a very general idea of how a chapter's gonna go before I dive in. Been thinking of one of the later chapters the past few nights actually. We'll get to that in time. Just glad to see anyone's enjoying this thus far.

Oh, also, if anyone wants they can look at stuff I've drawn on Deviant Art. I'm Warahi there. Only have one picture that has anything to do with The Loud House, but I've got lots of other stuff there. Transformers art. Resident Evil. Video Games. My own stuff. Just if any of you get bored ever.

Until next time though, edward18 out.


	4. Displaced Undertakings

Chapter 4: Displaced Undertakings

Clothing of various hues bounced up and down as needles pierced them, their sleek structures winding the yarn that they directed through the seams they worked. In the distance a voice babbled on and on endlessly about what felt like nothing and all the while a wash of violent anger bubbled beneath the surface with an ever-present little blond-haired girl growling. And in the midst of all that was a pale-skinned girl, the flapping of each stitch lifting the cloth for barely a second, just enough to see her sitting figure with her arms wrapped tightly around her legs which had been pulled up to her chest. Her black hair drooped carelessly around her up-pulled limbs. Yearning. That was the feeling that emanated from her form. An endless stream of emptiness and longing.

It was these dreams that wrested Lincoln as he simmered into the conscious world, the previous day's events a blur of yarn, caution, and confusion. He wasn't even sure if he was awake or not until he closed and opened his eyes a couple of times, his body now sitting up atop his mattress. With a stretch the boy let out a lengthy yawn and shook his head. He'd certainly been caught up in quite the antics the day before. Not to say the current one wasn't starting off odd. Even with him having awakened there were no electronic noises to be heard. On a school day that was something of an oddity to be sure given alarms that he felt should be greeting him. Curiously he rolled his head around. All he could detect was a suspicious low humming noise, the type of sound no one would even know was there unless all the devices in the house had just shut off and were coming back on. Thinking through the sentiment some more, Lincoln's eyes shot open.

School day.

Devices shut off.

Sure enough by the time he'd thrown open his door he could see the hallway decorated in the clamor of his panicking siblings. Clothes, makeup, and all manner of other items were scattered about the corridor, their owners bounding to and fro in panic. Leni was in such a rush to do herself up that the wall next to her and Lori's room was practically wearing a clown-face of its own. Her roommate meanwhile was trying to desperately to make some sort of verbal sacrifice to get her cell-phone back to the state she'd apparently had it in before the whole calamity commenced. Lucy stumbled haphazardly out of her darkened dwelling with Edwin in her arms who was nearly shattered on the ground when Lynn blazed by trying to collect up some sort of sports equipment that had made its way through their door. And out of the corner of Lincoln's eye he watched as a pink vehicle rolled into view and sped in his direction.

"OUT OF THE WAY!" Lana cried joining her twin in their bracing for the inevitable collision. Giving a cry of his own Lincoln somersaulted to the side leaving the two younger girls to slam into whatever had been behind Lincoln. A wince painted his face as he listened to the explosion from within his room which propelled the two blond-haired tikes back into the hall where they bounced back into the fray. Not even daring to see what damage had been done to his abode, Lincoln made his way into the center of the commotion and gave a shrilling whistle. All at once the family halted, some in very uncomfortable looking positions.

"Okay, what the hell is going on out here?!" he asked loudly.

"What's going on is Brainiac has made us late for school!" Lynn yelled governing the rest of the girls to glare in Lisa's direction, the subject in question wearing a nervous smile in response to the unbridled attention she was now receiving.

"Ahem, yes, well..." she stuttered sheepishly heightening the annoyance from her kin, "You see...I needed quite a bit of power for my new thermo-nuclear radiator I'm working on. Lily looked a bit cold so I turned it up a bit and...well...I guess it short-circuited and-"

"SHORT CIRCUITED!?" Lori barked, "The damn thing blew out EVERYTHING IN THE HOUSE! INCLUDING things that WEREN'T HOOKED UP!" Fuming, the eldest member thrust her cell-phone into the air, a blank flickering screen adorning its display. Glares returned to the short scientist.

"...I'm sure I can fix that right back up with a bit of tinkering," Lisa assured Lori, though that didn't seem to help her expression.

"That can wait, you kids NEED to be in the car in FIVE MINUTES!" their mother's voice interrupted.

"FIVE MINUTES?!" her offspring repeated in unison. Immediately the hell that had been the hallway moments before resumed and Lincoln slapped his forehead.

"Um...if I may have everyone's attention..." Lisa announced. Though still angry, most of the kids were too worried to give the full effort of their spite towards the second-youngest sibling anymore. With a confident smile on her, Lisa pulled out a controller and pressed some buttons on it. The family watched, more curiously now, as a structure of metal whirred and clanked its way into the hall from her room. Some backed away. Some pushed their heads forward to get a better view. Even Rita poked her head out from the staircase. Before the family was erected some sort of mechanical being with what looked to be a flat-screen monitor where the head should have been and balls for shoulders that, for whatever reason, lacked any arms. At the base instead of feet were some cobbled-together treads to wheel it around. "Presenting my latest invention," Lisa introduced, saliva filling her voice, "the Assistant-Bot 2600." The other Louds "ooed" and "ahhed" at the motionless mechanism afterwhich the hall fell quiet for a few seconds.

"...so what's it do?" Rita asked making some of the kids jump having not noticed their mother beforehand.

"I'm glad you asked," Lisa responded, having presumably been waiting for the building interest, "The Assistant-Bot 2600 comes complete with Scent-Detecting Filters, Brainwave AND Perspiration Analyzers, Temperature-Gauges, AND a copy of Fish Brawler II." With a bang Lisa's fist hit the robot's body popping its chest-plating out to reveal the old video game cartridge that was running it.

"HEY!" Lincoln yelled.

"Oh please, you haven't touched this thing in half a decade," Lisa dismissed the boy, "and besides, it's not like you could get much better at it anyway. I've checked your scores and calculated the total amount of points that you could acquire through both legitimate means and hacking. Somehow you were able to surpass the legitimate ones."

"...I was?" Lincoln gaped. Lisa nodded, though she clearly did not have much interest in the matter.

"Yeah yeah, fancy words and all, but...what's it do?" Lana asked.

"Kids, THREE MINUTES!" Rita alerted. Everyone exchanged worried glances.

"Basically it helps you do crap! Ask for its help, it figures out what you want based on how you're feeling and stuff, and then helps you do it!" Lisa summarized as quickly as possible, "And it looks like we're gonna need to crank this baby into high-gear!" Before her family could devolve back into their unnecessary whirlwind of chaos she rattled her fingers in a series of patterns across the controller she had and the Assistant-Bot 2600 sprang to life. "Assistant-Bot! Help Lynn out!" she ordered.

"Help me out? With wha-" Lynn began to ask but stopped as a soccer was thrust into her arms. She bent her brows in confusion but a second later they raised. "Whoa...I didn't even...know I was wondering about what ball to take with me..." The group collectively looked at their serviced sister then at the machine that had aided her.

"Well, this should certainly help speed things along-YAH!" Lisa started to say before being tossed away as the family congregated with excited requests around their new helper. Even their mother rushed over to it. Lisa just pursed her lips and propped her face up on one of her hands from where she was now lying on the floor.

"...primates..." she spat. While Lisa did feel some obnoxiousness towards the pack of humans, she certainly couldn't argue with the results. She was sure some of the residents couldn't even tell what was going on in the rushing around that her Assistant-Bot was doing. There was a bit of a worry that so much activity likely could cause the machine to malfunction, especially in such early untested phases of its production, but desperate times called for desperate measures. And her siblings certainly didn't seem to object. Those that were able to get ready fast enough took the time to admire the new contraption, Luan even dropping her normal jokey-self to eye the piece of hardware with a silent grin.

Somehow or another, the entire troop of children had gotten ready in time, Leni's face looking even more stunning than normal. According to Lisa's calculations they'd even made it into Vanzilla with at least half a minute to spare. Well...almost all of them. The twins were still clamoring to get all their supplies into their appropriate carrying cases as Lincoln entered. Then a thought occurred to him. Peering back over his shoulder he could see the Assistant-Bot waving to them and his face lit up. Figuring it didn't have too much to do in their absence he decided that he might as well ask it to clean up whatever mess his room had been reduced to during the antics of the morning. As he was about to speak though he was pulled away from the door and yanked into a more cushioned setting.

"Hey! What the-?" he exclaimed looking around. Then he felt a squeeze on his hand. Looking to his side he saw the sister closest to his height looking at him with a blank expression before flashing a smile. Lincoln searched his fuzzled head for what Lucy might have dragged him over to where she was sitting for until eventually his mouth popped open at the remembrance of what had happened the day before. "Oh right! Hehe, yeah. So hey-"

"Hey," she murmured back, small smiles accompanying their hushed voices, "yeah."

"Yeah."

"So..."

"Yeah...so um..."

The two looked at each other and then away and then back again.

"Mhmm..."

"...yep..."

"...okay, we gotta say something," Lincoln stated. Lucy nodded. "So how exactly should we go about this? After school are w-wha?!"

"Move it Linky!" Lola ordered as she and Lana shoved their way inbetween their elder siblings.

"Oof," Lucy's monotone voice attempted to grunt as her face was shoved into the window next to her from a foot. A few seconds later the clamoring had died into a squashed row of four bodies at the back of the vehicle.

"Hey! Guys! Me and Lucy were-" Lincoln started to complain, but a glance at the dark-haired girl quieted him. Though he couldn't see her eyes her face held enough caution to dampen the information he was spouting out. Smiling at him she shook her head. Giving an apologetic smile of his own he nodded. It's not like they didn't have time to work on things afterwards.

"Everyone ready?" their mother hollered from the front of the van. Various voices chimed in their confirmations. "Alright then, let's roll!" With a jerk, Vanzilla pulled out of the driveway and sped off down the street.

* * *

While Vanzilla had continued on to other stops, the first one was where a substantial amount of the family had been deposited. The Royal Woods Elementary School. The group of four had parted ways as quickly as possible to make it to their classes on time, of which they just barely managed as the bell rang. Clyde had practically fallen out of his seat from the speed that Lincoln launched himself into his. It'd been so instantaneous that Mrs. Johnson had initially marked Lincoln as tardy until Liam had pointed out that he was there, a halo almost seeming to shine above his innocent face. Their teacher had just been thankful that she didn't have to put a mark on his attendance.

Classes came and went, their various forms of information and assigned work filling the heads of the students more and more. Chemistry. Biology. Mathematics. All of them poured and sifted through the minds of the students cramming their knowledge into them ultimately to the point of bursting, some even leaking out information they'd had prior to their participation in the day of education in the process. It was a sad consequence but a necessary one sometimes. After all, the purpose of the school was to prepare its attendants for the rest of their lives, not just the trivial day-to-day activities between them and their friends in their free-time.

Perhaps that's how Lincoln found himself discussing the properties of Sulfiric Acid with Clyde at the lunch table instead of other, more investing, matters. Sulfiric Dioxide, Oxygen, Trioxide. Those were the words that they debated over, their youthful minds putting together the pieces of compounds in their aide for each others' pieces of homework. Of course Lincoln could always visit the McBryde household afterschool but he felt there were some pressing matters at his own home he still had to attend to. His room for starters, a disaster of which he would be having to have a sturdy talk about with the twins.

The stream of continued intellectual concepts however did wane over time. It was somewhat hard to stay focused on such matters with stomachs that needed to filled. And with that renewing energy came a resurgence in enjoyable subjects. Camping. Scheming. Scheduling hangout appointments. The day's activities and learning may have rearranged some of their prior thoughts and knowledge in their heads, but it was still there, just coming forth in different orders than they would have without having the interference of school-work. What may have come with a laugh and casual mention before now came instead from vague reminders their brains picked up on through their recovering sense of luxuriating.

"Dude I get it, but sometimes, I just think One-Eyed Jack could work better as the main act," Clyde stated causing Lincoln to nearly spit out the food he had in his mouth. It may have not gotten past his lips but it certainly caught in his throat.

"You sir, are out of your mind," he choked through pain-ridden tears. The hacking continued for a good half-minute until Rusty walked by and slapped him on the back. Clyde jumped back in anticipation of the chicken nugget that shot out of Lincoln's mouth. Tears still came, but now more due to relief than searing agony. After a few wheezes he waved off the taller orange-haired boy and gave a few more coughs to clear his throat.

"As I was saying..." Lincoln grumbled, his voice slightly more scratchy now, "You sir-"

"-are a genius. I know," Clyde finished happily eliciting an eye-roll from his friend. Lincoln knew that his buddy had his moments of brilliance, but between the two of them it was clear to see why he himself was the brains of the outfit. Why ANYONE would prioritize a series about primarily One-Eyed Jack over Ace was beyond him, but there were obviously worse options. He still didn't understand the obsessed fanbase of the cheap Total Turbo comic that came in the instruction manual of the seventh portable game. In spite of the clear difference in superior intellect that Lincoln possessed on the matter, he was happy to be back to talking about things that actually mattered in life. Speaking of things that mattered, part of Clyde's plate was still suspiciously untouched.

"Say, ol' buddy ol' pal," Lincoln said eyeing the Chicken Nuggets on Clyde's tray, their crisp coating practically sizzling their scent into his nostrils. It didn't help of course that he'd lost one in their "conversation". "Is there some reason that you haven't eaten any of you-"

"Meatless Mondays," Clyde reminded. The words brought a grin to Lincoln's face.

"Then you wouldn't mind if-" With a swipe of Clyde's hand the tray was slid into Lincoln's grasp who greedily began devouring them. Before the bell rang that is. "Really?!" he growled. There was still a good amount left, but no way that he was going to finish them before beginning his trek to their next class. Hanging his head in defeat, Lincoln got to his feet and brought the tray to the trash can where he, shamefully, scraped the meal into the abyss and deposited the tray on the top of the waste-structure before joining Clyde. Though saddened by the loss of the nuggets he at least had his pal to talk to, someone that got him submitted into another energetic debate so seamlessly that he didn't even notice the younger pale-skinned black-haired girl who tried to call out to him that they passed near each other in the halls between classes.

* * *

In the waning minutes of the school-day, anticipation built, as it normally did. That moment that they'd be released from their shackles and let loose back into the world to frolic and scurry off towards the activities of their choosing, be it on the school-grounds or out across Royal Woods itself. And when that bell rang the mass of young bodies viciously fought their way to the front doors. Buses were soon crammed with the youth of the learning establishment and pulling out onto the streets. The staff that remained in the building, who weren't taking part in after-school activities for students that stayed behind, could finally relax after a day of intense teaching.

For those departing from the building however, their day was finally theirs to live. The children within the elongated vehicles chattered wildly amongst each other in their excitement for the relaxation to come. The further along the path that the bus traveled the more its occupants lessened. What had been nearly twenty soon became fifteen, and then ten. But no matter the amount a girl that had taken her seat silently and before many even got through the doors of the bus remained separated from the person she'd hoped to share the seat with. It should've been obvious that Lincoln would have sat with Clyde, but Lucy had hoped that maybe they'd finally have a chance to talk and that he would have taken the empty spot she had left for him next to her. That wasn't the case though, and in her distant concerns his absence was becoming a more expansive worry. Even as the bus started to empty and she took seats nearer to him he didn't even seem to feel her presence.

By the time they'd reached their block Lucy had almost given up. She did pretty much dismiss her chance to converse anyhow back in Vanzilla. If Lincoln's shared time was chosen to be spent on others afterwards she had, perhaps regrettably, permitted that. They hadn't scheduled anything. He had nothing to go by. But to ignore her in the halls. Not even glance at her when she kept switching seats to get closer. It was like he didn't even notice her. That ever present annoyance at being paid no heed was beginning to wrap around her again. But more than that. This...this felt more...throbbing than the seclusion that made up her normality.

As the bus screeched to a slow halt the children that were to depart stood up and moved into the center aisle to empty out. Lucy didn't think she'd need to fight to stay caught up with Lincoln but she was wrong. As she started to enter the aisle two smaller girls barged right past her and practically pushed Lincoln towards the doors.

"Come on Lincoln! Race ya home!" Lana told him.

"Yeah, you can't beat us both!" Lola added.

"Oh you two are on!" he laughed back.

"Wait I-!" Lucy tried to object but her usual tone was lost in the midst of the exit of her siblings. Clyde watched a bit perplexed by the unnoticed reaction as Lucy proceeded to hang her head and walk towards the exit herself. She understood the desire to enjoy themselves, but alongside the carefree antics she was becoming lost. At least that's what she was seeing happening. Lincoln however did feel something was amiss. Counting the heads of the children he was racing to the house he came to a stop and looked back. He thought someone was missing. And sure enough there was Lucy stepping off of the bus, her head tilting up upon her foot's contact with the ground. Locking sight with him she stood still, not quite sure how to react. He was looking right at her. Getting no response he smiled and waved.

"Well, at least I know I won't be last!" he laughed simply happy to see the right amount of people, "See ya at home Luce!" She couldn't find the right words to say until he'd turned and bolted off after the twins. She had just been happy he'd even seen that she was there.

"Y-...yeah..." she said quietly to herself more than anyone else. It did give her a little smile, but as she followed her family home, at a more normal pace, that started to fade. It had at least been some acknowledgment, but that was it. Nothing to indicate that he planned to have any sort of talk with her about anything later. But...still...he had noticed her. And that, if nothing else, did lift her heartless chest a bit. Lincoln though did seem to have had some sort of talk. The sympathetic faces of her younger sisters showed the effects of that once she finally made it to the house.

"I just don't get what the big deal is. He, SOMEHOW, beat us here and then he goes on to have the nerve to lecture us about something that happened this morning?" Lola scoffed.

"Hey, we are the ones that rammed the car into his room," Lana reminded. Lola shook her head.

"He's had all day to get over that," she retorted. Sensing who they must be talking about Lucy stopped near them.

"Lola, Lana-"

"AHHH!" they screamed noticing the ghostly figure standing next to them. Lola clutched her chest to try and regulate her panicked breathing. "Jesus Christ!" Lana exclaimed.

"Yeah, sorry, whatever," Lucy rattled off instinctively, "Look do you two know where Lincoln is?" The older girl may have been less fazed by the interaction, but Lana was patting her twin's back to help get her rasps back under control.

"Oh, you mean Mr. Teenage-Girl?" Lola asked through ragged breaths, "seriously. He's the...b-boy of the house and he holds the grudge?.." Though Lana was supporting her physically, her face painted a different story for where she stood on the matter.

"Can you believe her? We're the ones that wreck his pad and she spouts out this crap," Lana chimed in. It wasn't too pleasant a look that Lola gave her for that comment, but Lana didn't exactly care.

"So...you've seen him then," Lucy concluded.

"Wow, and I thought the younger sister was the smart one," Lola murmured. Without seeing what her eyes were like all the twins could view from Lucy's face was a frown.

"Yeah, big-bro took that helper-bot thingy away from dad to fix up his room after it got wrecked this morning," Lana answered.

"And I was so close to getting it to help me figure out all the ingredients that I should use tonight!" they heard their father cry from the kitchen.

"Dad! You were just doing Meatball Monday this week!" Lola called back, "It's literally Meatballs and sauce. It ain't a Torte!"

"But it was so helpful!" he continued bawling. Lucy would have joined her sisters in their united head-shaking if she didn't have more important matters to get to. Her destination now known, she hopped up the stairs, her feet skipping steps along the way to shorten the trip. An excited grin adorned her face as she rounded the corner at the top. There stood the boy she was after, his hands proudly on his hips while he looked on in delight at the whirring figure that raced about inside his room. Lucy's own hands grabbed her knees as she bent forward to catch her breath. She hadn't anticipated the amount of energy that she used to climb the flight of steps so fast. But there he was. Finally. She was about to reach for him when he turned his head to the side and caught sight of her.

"Oh hey Lucy, what's up?" he asked with a smile. To her misfortune she was still caught in a series of pants from her exerted body but in moments she was able to force herself into a proper standing position. Before she could answer another voice sounded in their direction.

"There you are!" the saliva-filled voice of the brown-haired genius interrupted. Lincoln looked back at his room where her invention was fast at work repairing his splintered bed-frame.

"Look, Lisa, I can explain. I was gonna give it back right after-"

"Not you, but yes, I'll come back for the Assistant-Bot 2600," Lisa told him. Instead of the boy, to both his and Lucy's surprise, Lisa grabbed the black-haired girl by the hand and began pulling. "Come on Ms. Mathematics, we've got work to do," she sang to her older sister, "I've got a fun way to memorize your multiplication tables for this tutoring session." Realizing where they were headed Lucy tried, in vain, to pull out of the four-year-old's surprising grasp. The heels of her shoes left an impressive trail in the floor she was being dragged across.

"Wha-? No! Wait!" Lucy tried to beg. Whether Lisa even noticed her lifeless voice she couldn't tell. All she could do was stare in disbelief at Lincoln as he slowly became smaller in the distance until finally his empathetic smile disappeared from view when they rounded the corner into Lisa and Lily's room, the door shutting behind them.

* * *

Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes turned into days. Days into weeks. Weeks into years. Years into decades. Decades into centuries. For a hundred of her undead lifetimes Lucy felt her presence being held prisoner within the confines of the scientifically-decorated baby-room. Beakers bubbled and Tesla Coils flowed forth electric currents in the background as the short genius rattled on and on about equations and numbers, the most fought against faction of the education process that Lucy could imagine. It wasn't that she couldn't do it. No she probably could. She just didn't have enough investment to progress her learning. And giving her the tutor that she now had, in spite of her improved grades, certainly was doing her no favors for her interests.

And her current interest had pretty much been pulled away from her. Literally. She had been dragged off right when she had finally reached Lincoln. He had been RIGHT THERE. And then he was gone. Just like that. After an entire day of trying to get time alone with him it was just thrown out the window. It was like some big cosmic joke. Whatever deity directed her daily life had just come down and slapped her in the face. That was it. All that she had striven for, ruined. All that she had waited for, gone. As Lisa's lecture about whatever type of mathematical problem continued it provided enough of a backdrop for Lucy's detached mind to begin blurring the words with thoughts.

Why had she even bothered? It was stupid wasn't it? She knew she probably had no chance to get the guy she was after and yet she was trying anyhow. Why? For what reason did she take her chance on Lincoln helping her? Did she even believe in their efforts? If it wasn't to reach their goal then what? Because Lincoln believed in them? He hardly even noticed she was there, just like everyone else. If she'd been multiplied by five he'd probably have remained oblivious to each and every one of her. That'd be ten feet trying to walk after him but never catching up. But...was she being fair? He was the only brother that the family had, and he had to divide his attention between the ten of them. That'd be at least ten fractions of the twenty-four hours they had for each day, on top of which it wasn't exactly right to keep him from using his own time to divide further with others like Clyde which would multipl-

With a thump Lucy's head hit the desk she was sitting in. Lisa's words stopped as she looked at the unconscious figure and then at Lily who'd been watching with surprising enthusiasm. The baby just shrugged at her. Huffing some air through her nostrils, Lisa used the ruler she'd been dragging across her chalkboard to shove Lucy's head around a couple of times.

"Startled gasp! I'm awake!" Lucy said an octave higher than normal, though still within her range of emotionless communications. Her tone did not at all match the clear surprise in her motions. Lisa's flattened expression drifted to the crib in the room where Lily was giggling due to the pencil that'd been hanging from Lucy's mouth falling onto her desk. Lisa just shook her head and straightened herself back up to continue with her lesson. Before she could however her door burst open, the intruder startling everyone within.

"Oh...well, looks like I don't have to throw myself to the wolves to get you back," Lisa said with a bit of relief, "I'll need to thank him later for returning you." Casually her Assistant-Bot wheeled towards the corner of the room, its monitor sparking a bit. "Gah, of course it'd have probably helped if I'd gotten you out of the prototype phase before sending you on your first errands, but...eh, you seem to have gotten things done regardless. Now then, Lucy, as I was saying, four times three is pretty simple to understand so we'll likely be able to move along to-" the words trailed off. She was getting a bit annoyed at having to stop her lesson by now. One look at the older girl had been enough to tell her how little she was paying attention. Trying to keep herself in order, Lisa rubbed the space between her brows. But did she really need to suffer the ignorance herself?...

"Assistant-Bot 2600, I have a new job for you!" she called to her helper delightfully. Instantly the mechanism sprang to life and joined her at the front of the room. "I need you to help me teac-" Lisa began as she handed the ruler to one of the tentacles that snaked out of the machine's ball-shoulders. Looking at Lucy though her mind shifted a bit. The problem wasn't exactly her teaching she didn't think. Sure Lucy wasn't the most interested in the subject of math, but this type of daydreaming was clearly the issue. And perhaps that meant someone else needed help more. "Actually...help out Lucy. Find out what she wants so badly that it's keeping her from focusing on the lesson here."

"What?" the older girl perked up nervously. Before she could make any objections the machine was at her side and pointing its monitor-head down at her. Rapidly images flashed through its screen. Some she recognized, some she didn't. Vampires. Books. Some bloody video game. A flash of a suggestive woman on a bed. Zombies. The boy from the Goth Mic Night. Mountains. Some pictures flipped by too quickly to notice but it was clear what the robot was doing. It was scanning her. Her thoughts. And an image that repeated every so often started getting more and more frequent. "No no! Stop! You don't need to-!"

With a ping the images blurred into one mass at the speed they sped past until they created a sustained fixation on one image. A boy with white hair and a chipped tooth. Her mouth shrunk to a small line beneath which she could feel her face heating up a bit. Curiously Lisa pattered over and looked up at the image, a bit startled. Lifting a brow she shifted her glance to Lucy.

"...Lincoln?" she questioned. Not quite sure what to say at first Lucy looked to the side and scratched her arm. For some reason her body had started to itch.

"...sigh..." she muttered, "Yes...Lincoln. I had been trying to catch him all day and then, when I finally got to him, I had to be pulled away by you..." Lisa's mouth dropped slightly and she rubbed the back of her head. She certainly hadn't meant to interject into anyone's personal matters, especially with how much whatever Lucy wanted to confront Lincoln about seemed to matter.

"Oh well...heh...um...sorry about that..." Lisa apologized. She looked at her Assistant-Bot and then at Lily for some inquiry into what she should do. A somewhat upset look from the baby was probably what decided her actions. "...look, tell ya what. This clearly isn't working with how lost in the clouds you are right now...how's about we just...pick this up again next week?" she suggested. Beneath her hair Lucy blinked and looked down at the shorter sibling. In a silent gesture she pulled Lisa into a quick embrace and then shot out the door, the object practically slamming into the wall as she did so. While readjusting her glasses Lisa could see Lily giving her a thumbs-up from her crib. "Since we got some free time now though, how's about we get a head-start on Wednesday's Finger Painting lesson?" Lisa suggested. The room's other occupant instantly flipped the direction of her thumb.

For Lucy however, why she was flying down the hallway was a mystery. It's not like it even mattered at that point. The day was pretty much spent. And yet she was finally free. If nothing else, to at last be able to actually get to Lincoln would be palliating in some form. It only took a few seconds for her to reach the door at the end of the hall. Before she entered she dusted her dress off and looked her outfit over. Detecting no scuffles of debris clinging to it she turned the knob quickly and slid quietly into the room beyond. She was not exactly expecting what awaited her, but it wasn't that much of a surprise.

There, laying on the room's bed, was Lincoln Loud in nothing but his underwear. His half-closed eyes scanned whatever page he was currently on of his Ace Savvy comic before his fingers flipped it to the next page. He looked so calm and relaxed. Almost too calm. The harmony of the boy with his environment was nonplussing to view in its serenity. Lucy almost contemplated sliding back out of the room and leaving him to his material. Almost. Her observation of the scene went on for what felt like at least ten minutes, though it was likely much shorter given the amount of pages that Lincoln flipped through until Lucy decided to make herself known to his unaware senses.

"Ahem," she tried to cough as non-startlingly as she could. Clearly she did not achieve the desired result given the hiss of air that was sucked in through Lincoln's tense nostrils at the sudden voice. Though he held it for a second, his comic lowered once he let the air back out and smiled passively at the room's new occupant.

"Lucy. Hello," he greeted through tight lips, "What's up? How'd the tutoring go?" Receiving no response other than Lucy putting her hands behind her back Lincoln looked around the room. Nothing seemed wrong. Everything was in its place and it didn't look like there was anything she might be interested in taking. So why was she just standing there looking? No words or anything. Just a blank erect statue staring at him. Was it something she wanted from him? That was the only other possible reason he could think of for the odd behavior, but if so what...could she...possibly...want...from...

The pupils of his eyes shrank as it hit him.

"Oh...god damn it..." Lincoln groaned letting his comic fall over his face. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten. "Seriously? AGAIN?" he chastised himself.

"Well, at least I didn't have to bring it up to remind you this time," Lucy tried to offer a positive notion to the situation, however pitiable it was.

"Lucy...god...I'm sorry," he apologized as he lifted the comic up to look at her. The regret in his eyes stiffened her back a bit.

"...it...it's okay..." she told him feeling a bit of remorse herself for his guilt-ridden face. For a moment they stared at each other, both with their own weights of rue on their minds. But...not much could be done about any of it. It's not like it was the end of the world or anything though. "It...it is just the first day. We've still got time," Lucy figured. The claim did little to change her brother's expression however. Clearly still offput by his own actions, Lincoln's eyes drifted towards the bed-sheets.

"Yeah...yeah, I guess we do," he agreed with a nod. Though with some regret still lingering on his lips, his mouth curved upward a bit. "I promise, I will remember tomorrow," he assured her. Lucy could feel her own smile rising. Whatever annoyances or worries she might have had for the day seemed to vanish at the sight of Lincoln's recovering elation. It was a sort of infectious delight. And for that moment everything felt alright. The tutoring, the competing with her sisters and Clyde, and even the issue they were trying to overcome were nowhere to be felt. Just the contentedness of knowing someone was willing to be there.

"If you don't, am I allowed to kill you?" she asked. Lincoln grinned.

"Of course," he told her.

"I'll have the coffin ready," she grinned back. Giving a nod Lucy turned to exit the room, but something stopped her. Fancying a bit more she looked back over her shoulder to see Lincoln return to his comics. Her hand was telling her to turn the knob, but her mind was instructing other thoughts.

"...hey do you...would you mind if I...um...read in here for a while?..." Lucy asked, unsure as to whether or not she was actually talking with the words that were coming out of her mouth. Lincoln set down his comic in a wash of surprise, but his smile was there.

"Of course," he told her. Now her body allowed the knob to turn. A small smile clinging to her own face, Lucy made her way a bit speedily towards her room eager to return with her own reading material.

-end of chapter-

Okay, wow, this is getting a bit...a bit tough to keep up with working on these chapters alongside everything else I make. But eh, at least I'm havin' fun I guess. Hopefully the rest of you are too still. Well except for that Lucy x Haiku guy. Sorry dude, dunno what to tell ya. I'm sure there's a fic out there somewhere for it. For the rest of you though, happy to be bringing ya more.

And can I just say that I LOVE Lucy's monotone. Like that's one of the most hilarious things about her. How even when she's startled in the show she still just has that deadpan voice, even when she "screams" when the cat's attacking her. Arms flailing around and everything, but all you here is this bored "ahhhh" as she's running. Don't quite know the point I was trying to make with that. Just stating my thoughts.


	5. The Puppet's Remorse

Chapter 5: The Puppet's Remorse

A lonesome mist drifted across the land, its foggy cling snaking its way around whatever structures sprouted upwards, be they natural or manufactured. Alongside the translucent blanket was held a scent of decay. The type of musty odor that accompanied worn rocks of so many years. Could they speak they would have likely told of people that had walked their paths a few thousand times, but surely far less than more traveled locales. This was a place of more hallowed significance. The atmosphere alone was indication enough of that. The ornaments of the landscape only sealed the reality of the setting. Crosses and sacred statues dotted the grounds indicating the resting-places of the former lives they overlooked.

It was this imagery that a lone figure found themselves traveling through. Carefully, and with much regard for the headstones they weaved by, her feet instinctively orchestrated their steps quickly through the rarely-touched gravel of the cemetery, but in such a way that they left nearly no evidence of having disturbed the ground. It wasn't for any particular attachment, it was simply the way she walked. Her whole life was the epitome of lonesomeness. A void that drifted in silence observing and absorbing. Someone to whom no attention was paid. With such an existence her body had simply been crafted as such. A form adapted to the non-existence to which she was thought of.

Any sort of distaste she might have had towards her lot in life had evaporated so long ago that she didn't know if she ever even truly disliked having to adapt. That's not to say that the soul-crushing isolation didn't get to her ever, but in light of the negatives the seclusion was simply normality for her. Besides, it was not like she even cared to interact with those of her community much. Their constant bickerings and squabbles of their trivial day-to-day activities and personal agendas were so petty as to be compared to that of chickens fighting over a speck of food. For Lucy she much more preferred the company of those that had lived and spent their lives, what remained of their selves obviously far more knowledgeable and aware of the larger picture. A picture of finality and nature, the end resting-place of any being. Becoming one with the universe once more and intertwining with all that had come before and that would come after. Unity and release.

Lucy's pace had been slowing as she made her way further and further into the endless rows of grave-markers, a feeling of calmness and building excitement within her chest. Wherever it was that she was traveling she was nearing her destination. And as she approached two more objects revealed themselves, one box-like in design and one more humanoid. Though bearing the appearance of a person's silhouette the taller being bore pale skin beneath their mostly-black dressing. Their black hair was slicked forward above a pair of dulled but focused eyes which viewed the oncoming girl. Finally Lucy came to a stop in front of the coffin that the much older person stood next to.

"Edwin," she spoke looking the angular object up and down, "why am I here?"

"You would know more than any," the vampire told her. Still searching for answers she looked over to him, envious of the fangs in his mouth.

"This coffin," she murmured, "this is why correct?"

"Yes," he answered putting a hand on the object next to him.

"And this graveyard...it's like the one in town," Lucy surmised thinking over the various headstones that she had passed, "but much more expansive."

"Indeed," Edwin agreed. Lucy put her hand on the coffin in front of her as well and glided her fingers along its scratchy surface. The wood was worn, but still fresh. It was newer than other things in the cemetery.

"I'm dreaming aren't I?" Lucy asked. Edwin nodded. "Sigh. Tis a shame. These grounds would have provided for such fascinating traversing...wait..." Lucy brought her fingers back to her face in thought and a smile crept onto her lips. Whirling around she snapped her fingers towards a grave in the distance. In a split-second the Earth erupted from its direction revealing a body who's skin had decayed laying clear the view of tendons and bone beneath. Its head wobbled loosely on its neck as it turned and looked around. The smile now a grin Lucy snapped at another grave summoning forth another zombie. And then another. And another. "Ha ha. Ha ha. Ha ha," she laughed dryly.

"Ahem," a cough brought the girl's attention back to the figure behind her, the image of her unrequited love giving an almost-accusing glower down at her. Her grin faded as she bent her head towards the ground.

"Sorry," she apologized, "I just...to have this kind of experience in the realm of the living would require a vast amount of time and research to achieve these types of results..."

"I do not blame you," Edwin told her, "But, for the matter at hand..."

"Right..." Lucy confirmed lifting her head to look at the coffin once more, "...may you remove the lid?"

"Of course," Edwin said. Clasping his fingers along the rim of the object the digits sunk in beneath the casing and pulled its weight back revealing what lay inside.

"Gasp," Lucy said putting a hand to her mouth. Before her was the image of her desire. Well...her mortal one. Thankfully she had said nothing of the matter in the face of the person that stood at the side of the coffin. She was sure he'd be understanding, but it would certainly be in poor taste to advertise such feelings so adamantly. Still...to be this close. To see the skin and form from this view. Not directing herself, Lucy's hand ventured forth from her mouth to the boy in front of her. Surprise flowed to the rest of her body from it upon contact with the skin though. It was cold. Unfeeling. Dead. Out of confusion she let her head dip to the side.

"Perhaps one day," Edwin told her, "But now is not the time." Lucy jumped back as the body's eyes snapped open, their cold dead pupils looking straight into her, yet not paying attention. They were detached from any coherency. She spun around in a rare moment of surprise. Not to run, not to scream. She didn't quite know what her plan was. But whatever it may have been didn't matter. All she was left looking at was the vampire behind her, only now he didn't show any sign of having noticed her. Actually he didn't show any sign at all. Just a blank face stared back her...and a face that was now lowered down to her height. Not sure what was going on Lucy tried to turn again only for her body to more forcibly resist the spin. There was something hard against her back. That's when she realized just why things had changed so suddenly. She herself was in a coffin now. Her coffin.

"...sigh," she muttered hugging the bust of the vampire to her chest, "Oh Edwin...yes...someday perhaps...someday...I hope...I hope that that coffin will open to let the one inside step forth to hold me in its arms..." Remembering who she was talking to she yanked the bust away from her and gave a nervous smile. "Not to say it won't be you in some hundred years. It's just-er-...I-I'm sure you had a few different necks you sunk those fangs into before Griselda yourself..ha ha..." Though she'd given her apology, Lucy couldn't help but feel the awkwardness building from the stare of the sculpture. "I...um...y-yeah, I'm...just gonna...gonna go get ready for school..."

Lucy practically felt the accumulating sweat evaporate from her forehead as she opened the lid of her resting-structure and slipped quickly out. She didn't know why she felt such anxiousness over the discussions of her current interest. It's not like Edwin had minded Rocky. But this...this felt like something that may waver the vampire's sensitive caring should she misstep. Giving a lukewarm smile to the bust she closed the lid and hung her shoulders. She did want to experience the touch of her affection but with how things were going she wasn't sure that would ever be a reality. With an entire day of potential training negated the chances only slimmed ever more.

But there were still days left to go. She couldn't let just one dash her spirits. Confidence creeping through, Lucy looked around to determine the next course of action. That being to race to the bathroom as her roommate quite clearly was long-gone from her own bed and the current time was displayed quite vividly on an alarm clock that had been pulled out from the drawer of the dresser next to it.

"Dang it," Lucy grumbled to herself. The door to her room, already slightly open, was thrust outwards from her push into the hall. Of course Lynn hadn't bothered to wake her. The sports-obsessed sister was probably in too much of a rush to prepare herself for whatever mundane physical activities she'd be participating in the day ahead. It didn't take her getting to the door to know the status of the family. The various voices had practically poured out of the bathroom the moment she'd exited her room and grew only louder as she made her approach. With a skid she entered the hard-floored chamber and shoved her way into the mass of bodies that had congregated at the sink.

Not all of the siblings were gathered there. Luna was in the shower while Lynn, Lucy could only assume, was using the other "facility" of the room. But enough were present at the bathroom's main fixture to warrant some forceful exchange for Lucy to be able to position herself into a proper station at the sink. If there was a silver lining it would have been that she at least didn't have to fight with Lynn over who would get the toothpaste first. Greedily she nabbed the tube off of the counter and squirted some of its contents out onto her toothbrush before the baby bathing in the sink had the chance to try and put it in her mouth. Then the tube was yanked away.

Reacting to the sudden gesture she looked over at the hand that had grabbed it and saw it disappear behind Lori's body. Bending her own body back Lucy came face to face with the culprit who now had a spread of his own on his utensil. Realizing who each other were looking at, Lincoln and Lucy smiled and he gave the tube back to her. With no more use for it herself she placed it back on the counter where Lily promptly plucked it into her mouth and began sucking on the cap. The collective of bodies tended to their various needs in their conjoined effort to escalate the speed at which they prepared for the day ahead. Leni brushed her hair in her repetitious efforts to get the strands into their proper patterns, Luan focused on flossing her front teeth, and the younger siblings ran the bristles of their brushes through their mouths.

It didn't take too long for the first of the siblings to conclude their business in the bathroom. A skip in one's step, Lola and Lana retreated back to their room to continue their preparations. Though they weren't the initial ones out, Lucy soon exited with Lincoln not following too long afterwards. Figuring that Lynn would probably take a bit longer due to her stalling at the toilet, Lucy made visual-contact with Lincoln and cocked her head towards her room which she had been leaning in the entrance of. Looking around quickly, Lincoln paced over to her and ducked into the dwelling. With a click the door shut. Seeing Lucy take a seat on her bed Lincoln did the same causing the shorter girl to bounce on the flexible padding beneath them.

"Alright, now how you think we're gonna do this?" Lincoln asked balling up his fists in excitement. Lucy had to admit, she hadn't been expecting such anticipation from him. But she was more than happy to see his determination.

"Well...I was actually hoping you could help figure that out," she admitted, "I mean...we're down a day and you are the one that usually comes up with the plans."

"Oh right," Lincoln said. Squinting his eyes he put a finger to his chin. "You know I have been thinking after the whole...mishap yesterday."

"You mean 'forgetting to help' yesterday?" Lucy asked. Lincoln's squint became ever more contracted.

"After the whole MISHAP yesterday," Lincoln repeated more clearly. Even though she turned her head away he could still tell that the corners of her mouth had lifted. "I got to thinking...we have four days left." That made the girl's expression drop.

"...four days?" she questioned. Lincoln nodded with a look of concern. Lucy however was just confused. "But the dance is next week."

"But the Goth Mic Night is THIS week," Lincoln corrected, "The Goth Mic Night that you saw that guy at. And that you don't know if you'll see outside of that...actually now that I think of it that's just three whole days and a sliver of Friday if we rush that one" Lucy's mouth dropped open. How had she not thought of that before? HOW? Throughout the entirety of the past day and a half she'd just been thinking of their time limit spanning all the way up to the dance. But now that the facts were stacked in front of her face that logic made no sense at all. They really only had a FRACTION of the time that she'd assumed they did! And in the recesses of her mind paranoia began to flow forth. Her body, though internally spasming at the devastating information, remained motionless in its slack-jawed expression. Lincoln glanced around a few times before snapping his fingers in front of the still girl's face.

"Hey...Luce?...you there?..."

"Siiigggghhhhhhh..." she finally responded lifting her face to the ceiling as the word drawled out of her mouth. Picking up on the fact that Lucy had just been slapped upside the head by his revelation, Lincoln put his hand on her back and patted it a few times.

"Hey hey, it's okay," he assured her. Her face clearly didn't agree. "Like you said yesterday we still have time!" Lincoln reminded trying to raise her spirits, "And besides, it's not like I've let you down yet." That last part at least ignited some sort of reaction. Lucy's lip raised in thought before she turned her head to look at his.

"Yesterday you forg-"

"I said "Let you down" not "Set you back"," he pointed out with a more exasperated look. His face at least helped ease the tension a bit. The smile Lucy put on this time though was not nearly as wide as the previous one, and instead of looking to the side her head was tilted towards the sheets of the bed. Feeling his hand on her back again she bit the inside of her lips, the feelings of relaxation and relief amplifying as the placement of the hand moved rubbing her back in a steady rhythm. Perhaps it wasn't something to get that worked up over for the time being. After all, he was right, he hadn't 'let her down'...yet. Maybe all they truly needed to do was focus more.

"...sigh," Lucy uttered. Each caress of Lincoln's hand seemed to brush away the suffocating worries more and more. Had she the choice she'd have just let him continue his brushing. His finger-tips provoked a flurry of sensations with their touch aiding in the efforts to calm her hesitated mentality. But time was not on their side. Even as she leaned back into the hand Lucy could feel the approaching end of their privacy.

"Well alright..." Lincoln said bringing the stroking to a stop to Lucy's slight dismay. That is until she found herself falling into the full arm he extended behind her back. Not knowing quite how to react she just stared up at him from where she lay in his grasp. "After school today we get to work on this. Same thing with tomorrow and Thursday. Just get things started as soon as possible and then get all that we can done for training. Sound good?" Not making a sound Lucy nodded her head slowly. She had hardly even heard what he had said from within her cradle, but it was enough to understand that she should give some sort of confirmation. The arm's support certainly made up for the disappearance of her back-rub. She felt her body jump however with the entrance of another person into the room.

A determined look on her face, Lynn kicked the door open and danced into the room ready to compile the items necessary for the day into her bag. Her twirling came to a halt though as she looked over the duo on the bed in front of her. There sat her brother on the bed opposite of her's with their younger black-haired sister laying on his arm, both their faces staring at her. Lynn blinked a few times and coughed unintentionally trying to break the silence.

"Uh..." she put a finger up and then lowered it back down, not quite sure what to say, "uh...what is..."

"I was showing Lincoln how to kill a vampire," Lucy told her causing both her and Lincoln to look at her.

"...but you like vampires..." Lynn pointed out. Even with her hair in the way Lincoln could tell Lucy was glancing at him.

"Yeah, b-but...that doesn't mean all of em are as respectable as Edwin," he said earning a surprised brow from the older sibling, "I mean what if one's been out there just killing everything? Gotta put to down mad dogs and all that."

"Indeed," Lucy agreed, impressed at Lincoln's creativity, "And when you get to their coffin, you open it up, prop them into a sitting position like this, and then strike with your stake before they GET YOU!" Lincoln let out a yelp as Lucy leaped at him with a toothy grin. "Come back Lincoln. I just want a nibble..." she told the boy that had taken cover behind Lynn through her clacking teeth. Lynn just gave annoyed looks to the two and shook Lincoln's hands off of her arm.

"Alright Ms. Freaky, get your fangs back into your skull. It's the bright hours of the morning," she told Lucy as she rolled her eyes, "And Linc-miester, you should probably get ready. Don't got too much longer to pack." Nervously he nodded and exited the room but not before looking back over his shoulder at Lucy. The girl just lay there lifelessly on her bed staring at him as he left but he saw a small smile curve onto her face just before the frame of the door overtook his vision. Smiling a bit himself he barely noticed the Assistant-Bot 2600 wheeling around helping some of his sisters out in their preparations as he made his way towards his room.

"And I said "Hot air balloon? That's my sister's head!"," is the joke that Lincoln would have heard had he been paying attention as he passed Leni who was caught up in a fit of laughter. Luan bowed to the, admittedly easy, audience member but popped her eyes open when she heard the whirring of the Assistant-Bot speed by. She grinned watching its tentacles spin about to assist the family members.

* * *

With much more time available to them thanks to the lack of a haywire experiment to start the day, the group of children and adolescents made it to their destinations pretty manageably, though not without Lori's chiding given how she had proudly taken the driver's seat instead of their mother. It wasn't too much to be ungrateful for. Sure there had been the hurriedness at which she insisted they expel from the vehicle and the occasional sharp turn that sent the bodies within flying into each other, but it certainly got the job done for the haphazard group. Practically all of the attendants of Royal Woods Elementary found themselves seated in their desks within an acceptable time frame and they were even allotted the luxury of some moments to converse with their friends.

...Well...those that conversed...and had friends. As with many mornings Lucy mainly just sat at her desk writing rhyming words and poems until the bell rang. She would then pay attention as long as her brain would let her before falling back into the thought-provoking patterns of the words that she expressed her feelings with on spare pieces of paper that she knew would be going home with her. It's not like anyone could blame her. Who wanted to spend their time repeating the same meaningless educational puzzles over and over when they could instead occupy it with the satisfying journey of the heart and mind?

...Lisa probably, but Lucy long had since given up hope of the young sibling actually taking part in any form of reasonable enjoyment. Maybe she just hadn't grown into it yet.

For Lucy though, nothing filled her hands, heart, and mouth with more meaning than reciting the carefully rehearsed verses she compiled. To her they were the sincerest form of confession and analysis. Her brief moments to burn a spark of her legacy upon the ears of some fraction of reality, for however brief the impression may last. That was her interest in life, not the mind-numbing redundancy of the school's education system. If nothing else though, the system did provide the girl ample time to fill in her ignorance of whatever class she'd become disinterested in with thoughts of what she should write next. And possibly get some writing done herself assuming that she could hide her scribblings well enough during her teachers' various sermons. Those scribblings however did not go unnoticed by everybody.

"I do anticipate a good reading at the next Writing Club," a low but feminine voice told her. Lucy turned her head to see the girl in the desk next to her smiling. She'd become so lost in her thoughts that she'd completely forgotten that one of the only people she truly cared to interact with had been sitting next to her. She must have noticed it when they'd taken their seats, and if she hadn't their seating was enough of an ingrained daily pattern that she likely had sensed her on some subconscious level. But their placement was so regular that she had become part of the setting during Lucy's writings.

"Haiku...hello," Lucy replied acknowledging the fellow Goth. For anyone else it might have been a sparse response, but Haiku was familiar enough, as well as similar enough, to Lucy that she just gave a nod.

"Yes, this lecture is certainly not the highest grade of literary journeys," Haiku agreed towards Lucy's thoughts as she looked at the teacher and then down at their textbooks, "I can't wait to hear what you have in store. Sasha's been showing some promise though. Gonna have to really put in some Fifth Grade words to make sure ya stay ahead against her. May wanna see if Lincoln's got anything."

"...yeah...Lincoln..." Lucy murmured. A bit surprised by the pause Haiku leaned her head in closer to her friend.

"Is something wrong? I thought he was great at poetry," she asked.

"What?" Lucy said breaking out of her thoughts, "oh-yeah. He's incredible. It's just...we...I'm not gonna be able to make it this week."

"Oh," Haiku said. She had to admit that was a bit of a surprise. Normally the girl was so excited to partake in the social tradings of words. "Well, guess I'll probably hear some of your natural wordplay at The Morticians Club." Lucy just tilted her head towards the paper on her desk. Not one to increase the size of her eyes, Haiku's brows lifted instead. "The Writing Club AND The Morticians Club?" she asked with an air of disbelief in her deadpan delivery, "Wow. You must be busy with something big."

"Quite," Lucy confirmed, "Do not worry though. In time I shall return, more learned and wise from experience. And when the hibernation of my penmanship is concluded we shall see which member of the club possesses the more advanced vocabulary."

"And I highly await that showing," Haiku told her happily. Til the end of class though Lucy couldn't manage to get much written. The mention of her brother had drawn her mind towards other things. Their plans. Their goal. That morning. Lucy's fingers lifted her pencil to her mouth to chew on the eraser a bit as she found her thoughts starting to replay the events over and over. The way he'd rubbed her back and then allowed her limp body to drop back into his arm's hold. Those moments of being...held there, her delicate and smaller form fitting so snugly within the organic backrest as she stared up at him. It was enough of a reminiscing that it sent a jolt through her body. It started at her chest and then pooled downward into her abdomen. She shivered with excitement and anticipation. THAT was the type of scene that she longed for with the object of her affection. That boy from Friday and Saturday night. To have him with his arm locked around her torso and to have her head staring up into those dark pupils of passion and longing. That was the desire that she craved.

Lucy found it somewhat hard to stay focused on much of anything for the remainder of the school-day. Any time that she tried to focus on her work her mind just strayed right back to the images that she crafted in her mind of she and the boy she lusted for. The only thing that even seemed to break her attention on the matter was her partner in the endeavor. This time not only did Lincoln look at her when they passed in the halls, but he gave a wink as well. One that painted Lucy's face with a wide smile, a display so uncommon that she quickened her pace to hide it.

Even when she'd made it onto the bus and sat down she could feel her lips brimming with eagerness, a feeling only heightened with Lincoln's arrival. She felt something jump in her chest when he carelessly plopped down next to her in the open seat and grinned. Grinning back, she leaned against him. To her surprise a paper was whipped out in front of her with some diagrams and writing covering it. Curiously she grabbed the edge of it to make sure it was splayed out properly between the two. The rest of the family may have poked fun at his preparations from time to time, but in that moment Lucy knew she'd made the right choice when picking her aide. She may not have understood half of what was written or some of the thoughts he was trying to get across the plan, but damn if it wasn't an admirable effort.

Lincoln was about to speak when another voice piped up. Poking their heads out he and Lucy could see Clyde waving to them. Lincoln's eyes shifted from him to Lucy. After a moment of thought Lucy looked back at Lincoln, smiled, and nodded her head. Giving her a thumbs-up he bounced over to his friend and joined him at his seat leaving Lucy to look over the plans he'd compiled. It did give her some time to think the agenda over with a more detailed view on things. One by one she scanned over what the days were to entail with her fingers. As she viewed the columns on repeated lookthroughs however, she felt her hands doing the investigating more and more until eventually they were just slowly drifting back and forth across the sheet as she read the words in her head. She always did admire Lincoln's grammar and lexicon.

Unlike the day before, Lincoln had no hurry in his step as they walked home after leaving the bus. While Lola and Lana bickered back and forth in front of them about whatever minuscule matter they'd partaken in, the older two kids were having their own discussion. They knew the younger two would pay them no mind with how viciously they had engaged each other. They didn't even take notice when Lucy gave one of her rare insipid laughs. For her it was perhaps the most lively she'd been in public for at least a month. With both pairs excited for different reasons, they entered the house and parted.

While Lana and Lola bounded up the steps to the second floor of the house, their brother and sister continued on past the staircase. Stepping into the living room they threw their luggage onto the couch and Lincoln felt a hand land on his shoulder which immediately yanked him back through the doorway and pulled him quickly into another room.

"Thanks again Lincoln for-" Lucy started to tell him. Noticing his absence she stopped talking and turned around. He was nowhere to be seen. "...Lincoln?" the lone girl asked to the room.

* * *

"Bwah!" Lincoln hollered as he jerked to a stop. Immediately a hand was over his mouth and he found himself staring into a rather threatening glare. Lori pressed a finger to her lips before removing the hand. Raggedly he shuddered deep breaths through his strained trachea. He didn't know quite why he'd seemingly been teleported into a closet, but he definitely was not enjoying the newfound interaction. He put a hand to his chest as a glare of his own started to form.

"Well hello to you too," he grumbled, "is there some reason I'm in here?"

"I got a job for you twerp, and I don't want you messing it up," Lori told him. Lincoln's shoulders slumped as he let out a sigh. This was just what he needed.

"Well, unfortunately for you, I already have a job," he replied reaching for the doorknob. Instantly his hand was slapped away, much to his annoyance.

"And unfortunately for you I still have one for ya," Lori insisted. It may have been dark within the confines of the closet, but enough light illuminated the door-frame that they could clearly see each other's distasteful expressions.

"...what...is...it?..." Lincoln growled.

"Vanzilla," Lori said crossing her arms over her chest. Lincoln blinked. "I may have possibly been talking to Bobby in a video-feed on the phone on the way home and, in my...literally necessary conversation, I may have came a bit too close to a big rock on the side of the road. The van like literally jumped off the ground. May have. I'm not saying it did. This is a hypothetical dilemma here."

"So why am I here if it's hypothetical?" Lincoln asked attempting to muster some interest in the girl's deserved regret. Lori's lip raised towards her nose in annoyance.

"Because I'm taking it to Flip's. Apparently he has this side gig where he sells car parts he gets off of people and I need to you make sure dad doesn't flip out or anything. Keep him from seeing if Vanzilla's out there. Lana should be able to help get the right stuff and patch things up...uh-if it's damaged...which it's not." Lincoln's expression of narrowed facial features didn't change even with Lori's forced grin.

"...and what if I say no?" he asked. The grin practically fell off the older sibling's face and she knelt down next to him.

"If ya say no you get one of THESE," Lori told him lifting her fist up next to his face. Just to get the point across she pulled it back and sent it sailing past him. The two's eyes popped upon hearing a cracking noise which ignited a series of expressions that flashed across Lori's pained face. Doing her best not to falter in her intimidation, she wobbled back to her feet and tried to keep her hand behind her back. "...I still got the other one to work with..." she spat. Lincoln rolled his eyes as she exited. Just another task he had to force into his schedule. It was a situation that he wished he could say was unfamiliar to him.

Figuring he better tell Lucy he started back towards the living room but as fortune would have it he wouldn't have to travel that far. The black-haired girl's own search for her companion had brought her right to the staircase near where he had emerged. Spotting each other they approached, but were stopped by the appearance of another person. Not that they had much intention to divert their attention from each other, but it was a necessity for the boy. Their father walked by humming a little tune to himself, not a care in the world. But that wouldn't be the case for long if he made it into the kitchen where he'd have a clear view of the driveway. Mentally kicking himself for giving into Lori's "proposition", Lincoln twirled himself around to lap in a circle about his dad whose hand he grabbed to drag him towards the stairs.

"Wa-wa-woah!" Lynn Sr. stammered, "Wh-what's going-"

"Sorry dad, I need you for a bit. There's this Legends of the Hidden Temple episode I found online that I just NEED you to see!" Lincoln exclaimed through his regretful smile.

"What!? Well why didn't you tell me?" his father laughed breaking out of his son's grip to race him up the steps. Lincoln didn't want to, but he knew he should give some sign to Lucy, to acknowledge the chink in their schedule. Hastily he spun around and gave a sorrowful beam and shrug of his shoulders to her as he continued following his dad, now walking backwards. Lucy lifted her disbelieving hands up in front of her and returned a dumbfounded gaping mouth in his direction which tilted the corners of his own mouth downwards into more of a regretful grimace. Not wanting to chance their dad catching on to what he was doing, Lincoln coerced his legs to move back around and hop up the stairs after him leaving the confounded girl to watch as they rounded the corner towards her brother's room.

Lucy stood there for at least a good minute or so in an incredulous stupor. For all she knew they'd been ready to get started on their day together, their items from school deposited and determination fueling their motives, but then, out of nowhere, Lincoln had just vanished. Like vanished vanished. And then he'd seemingly ditched her entirely to go watch some show with their dad. She wasn't quite sure what the hell had just happened. Feeling a sense of perfidy, Lucy pulled out the chart that Lincoln had made for them. In the distance she could hear a vehicle start up and pull out of its driveway.

"...sigh..." Lucy said as she clutched the piece of paper to her chest. Elsewhere in the house a grin formed on an older girl's face.

* * *

"Yes! Take that Blue Barracudas! Man those Silver Snakes really got them on the ropes!" the older male cheered. Lincoln couldn't help but feel some form of enjoyment from the display he was seeing, both from his dad and from the computer screen. It was a show that he loved watching after all, and one of the few times he really got to spend a good amount of time with his father. Even his arms went up when one of the Barracudas dodged past a temple guard. That had been a close one for the kid. As he watched the child dash around in the exposed chambers Lincoln could feel what was coming up. Both from his numerous times of watching the show along with his personal experience on it. Soon enough they would be in The King's Storeroom smashing the pots.

But even with the sheer enthusiasm that the pair emitted Lincoln couldn't help but feel a pang of deplority. That look that Lucy had given him. That disbelieving face of inflicted duplicity just hung in his head. And the more he thought about it the more he could hear the shouts and cheering quieting. He'd already fucked up their practicing the previous day. Now it was happening all over again, but this time intentionally. No...no. There was a reason for it. He obviously didn't want to be on the receiving end of one of Lori's tantrums. But at the same time... Lincoln clenched his eyes shut and gulped. That image of Lucy's face flashed across his mentality once more. For a moment he contemplated marching right back down the steps. It felt like he wouldn't have to though since soon enough a knock sounded from his door. Immediately he was on his feet and turning the knob.

"Hey Luce! I-...um..." Lincoln greeted. What he was staring at however was the lower body of a much taller figure. Slowly he looked up to see that he was the one being looked down to.

"Hi Lincoln!" Leni greeted with a wave. She didn't seem to notice his mouth sling open slightly in annoyed disconcert. "Gosh, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Luan told me you could help me find a belt of mine. After all, they are super heroes' favorite accessories!"

"...I...don't think that really qualifies me to-"

"Thanks Lincoln!" Leni said grabbing his hand and pulling him into the hall. Instinctively Lincoln tried to pull back but it was no use.

"Don't worry Lincoln, I've got it on pause!" he could hear his dad say, "I'll just read this new Ace Savvy you got."

"Wha-NO!" Lincoln yelped. Lynn Sr. wasn't kidding about the recentness of the issue. Lincoln had only taken it out of the package once before and he did not want any creases forming. But there was nothing he could do. Leni's grip was like that of a clamp. It could not be said that she wasn't vigorous when it came to fashion. But there may have been a beacon of hope. Out of the corner of his eye, Lincoln could see a jumble of green and brown clothes pittering out of their dwelling.

"Lisa!" he called desperately, "I-"

"Not now Lincoln!" the little girl excitedly cut him off, "I've just been informed of an enormous amount of coprolite that has been discovered in this very town! Oh I must get out there to collect samples before the institute intervenes!"

"But-!" Even if Lisa had been listening it was likely that she wouldn't have bothered acknowledging the words since her mind had clearly been set on her own goals. With the exit of the toddler Lincoln was on his own.

"Leni look! I've got a lot I have to do today! Dad's cheering for the Barracudas and Lucy's waiting for some one-on-one time and Lori was in the closet and-" Just before they got to the room of the eldest siblings however they came to a stop. There stood Luan, a belt twirling in her hands. Letting go of Lincoln's, Leni let out a gasp and dashed over.

"The belt! But I thought you said you didn't know where it was!" Leni giggled as she grabbed it.

"Well I did some circling around your pants section in the closet and was able to fasten a view on it," Luan explained emphasizing the few clothing-related words.

"Oh...I get it!" Leni laughed, "Well thanks Luan, I'm off to fight crime you two!" With a brave face, the older girl strapped the belt around her waist and flipped her sunglasses down over her eyes.

"Um...Leni...you aren't actually a super-" Lincoln's words were lost as the blond-haired girl promptly walked into the corner of the wall near the staircase in her now-nearly blinded state before toppling down the steps themselves with a scream. Luan and Lincoln gave each other a wince upon hearing the crash at the bottom.

"...I might be okay!" Leni's strained voice assured them, "...oh hi Lucy!"

LUCY!

Breaking into a run Lincoln tore down the hall. At least he would have if he hadn't been spun back around by a hand and left to run straight into the body of the girl that he'd been left with.

"Woah, if you wanted some pillows you just had to ask!" Luan laughed. Though at first confused, Lincoln pulled his head back once he'd realized just where his, now beat-red, face had landed. "Ha, looks like you really got "abreast" of this situation!" she continued on, much to his chagrin, "Get it?"

"Unfortunately..." Lincoln replied closing his eyes to try and calm his nerves. Puffing a stream of air out of his nostrils, he turned around to make it back to either his room or Lucy. At the moment his mind was too shot to decide. But he wouldn't have to make the decision. To his dismay Luan's hand whirled him around denying him passage once more. Now his embarrassment just fell to annoyance.

"...is there something you want?" he asked opening his eyes just enough to see the overly excited smile on her face.

"Yeah!" she told him. Lincoln's body slumped forward. Just what he needed. More interruptions.

"Well...I'm kind of...REALLY busy right now..."

"Aw come on Lincoln Log! You're the only that can help me!" she begged.

"...help you with what?" Lincoln asked out of guilty curiosity.

"Lisa's computer!"

"...Lisa's...computer..." Lincoln repeated slowly receiving a series of nods in return, "...and you think I'm the one that can help you with...whatever you're gonna...wait, why do you need to get on Lisa's computer?" That question dampened Luan's excitement a bit. Zipping her eyes around, she put a hand towards her mouth and thought for a second.

"...okay, look, here's the breaks kid," a modified version of her voice replied as she pulled out Mr. Coconuts, "Over the last year that little twerp's been gathering up data on all sorts of stuff. Pet hair. Skin samples...Other samples... Point is, she's got all that information stored up in her room. And this here gal's willing to bet that she's got a good list of pranks and ideas for future pranks that haven't been thought up yet that she's preparing for. So the way we see it, you sneak in and get that section's files unlocked for her to look at. And word has it that YOU are the one that can get her in." Lincoln just stood there staring up at Luan, his eyelids drooping.

"...and I want to do this because?..." he inquired.

"Look, I'm gonna come down to your level," Luan said. Lincoln rolled his eyes as she knelt down. "If you help me out here I'll...I'll...I'll take off a prank or two for you from this next April Fools!" Now the eyes jumped. But only for a second. He knew better than to trust the lunatic of the household. And what's more, he knew that getting her access to such intel was simply not worth it for such a measly price.

"That's nice and all Luan, but I got shit to do," he told her before starting his walk back down the hall. The girl's mouth spread hesitantly.

"Three pranks!" she offered. Lincoln's feet did slow, but they didn't stop. Her mouth grew even wider lifting the bottoms of her eyes.

"...FOUR PRANKS!"

'Don't you do it...DON'T YOU DO IT!...' were the words that were screaming throughout Lincoln's head. But his feet had a mind of their own. After whipping to a halt, they turned around and slowly walked back towards Luan, despair painted across her face. 'You mother fucker...'

"And you promise. FOUR pranks will be taken off?" Lincoln asked. Clearly pained to give the answer, Luan nodded her head one last time. "...fine," he sighed in defeat. Before he knew it he found himself twirling around in a chaotic embrace, his face smashed firmly back into the space that he'd so anxiously pulled it away from moments before. He hardly had time to comprehend the sensation though as he was thrown into a mismanaged spin upon being let go of the sudden whirlwind. With some effort he straightened his legs and kept his lunch from flying up into his throat.

"One last thing..." he wheezed, "what the hell am I supposed to do to get in? How am I the ONLY one that can help you with this?"

"Oh right," Luan said getting out her puppet again, "toots here overheard that apparently the "joke" section of the twerp's computer is locked behind a secret password that you have to say to it. And it apparently comes from a certain video game..."

"...video...game?..." Lincoln questioned. Luan nodded.

"A certain...Fish Brawler...video game..." she added. Lincoln's brow lifted. Lisa must have been more interested in that cartridge than she'd let on. He didn't have time to give it much more thought though for their dad had now emerged from Lincoln's room. He smiled at them and waved.

"Hey you two. I just remembered, I gotta get started on dinner so we'll have to postpone things til later," he told them. Lost in his own little world, Lynn Sr. began his trek down the steps which Lincoln viciously chased after before Luan could say anything. Her face of desperation morphed into a callous scowl.

"Hey-hey-hey! Dad! W-wait up!" Lincoln called. In the blink of an eye he'd hit the bottom of the steps and circled around his father to lead him in the direction opposite of the kitchen.

"Whoa! What's this about?" he laughed, "Lincoln, I'd love to see whatever it is you're gonna show me, but I really have to get started on-"

"Hey dad, catch!" Luan yelled. Both males turned their attention to the stairs as she slid down the railing and tossed some of the eggs she was juggling in his direction. Instinctively he caught them and fell into a passing pattern between himself and the jokester. Lincoln shook his bewildered head before receiving a bump from his sister's butt. "Come on. Get up there and do it!" Luan hissed, "I've got dad!" He was still trying to process the sudden intrusion, but as it stuttered to more coherent thoughts Lincoln found himself thinking of another option. He could just walk into the living room and see if Lucy was still there, but one look at Luan's face helped to dismiss that notion. Giving a nod, Lincoln slipped back up the stairs as quickly as possible. He didn't want to chance endangering any of his previous tasks more than he already had by wasting anymore time.

Within seconds Lincoln was at the top of the flight and in front of the door of one of the rooms next to his. Making no haste he creaked the door open to take a peak for any potential security devices. Finding nothing he slipped in and looked around. On one side of the room was a normal bed with a poster of The Periodic Table strung up on the wall next to it while on the other side was a more infantile arrangement for the room's other inhabitant. Sensing the newcomer, Lily popped her head up out of her crib and made a rather pleased noise to the boy. Lincoln smiled and waved. But he had more pressing matters. Equipment always seemed to be rearranged each time he saw the place. Thankfully though the current "computer" that Luan had told him about seemed to be sitting right under the window between the beds on a table that'd been set up. Just to be safe Lincoln scanned his view around the rest of the room and spotted Lisa's Assistant-Bot seemingly deactivated in the corner on Lily's side.

Shrugging his shoulders, Lincoln took a seat in front of the computer and inspected the screen. Whatever it was made out of did not look safe, but it was functioning enough to display images. Images that were composed of rather complex messages at that. Ones he clearly needed a few more grades of education to come close to understanding what most of them said. If he recalled correctly though, Luan said he just had to say a code from the Fish Brawler game.

"...um...Level Select?" he asked. He could've kicked himself. Of course it wouldn't be that simple. It was supposed to be some password. And given Lisa's complexities it likely wasn't the name of the code but moreso the code itself. "...okay, hold on...A plus B, C, C, A, A, B, B, B plus C?" Lincoln sat there for a few seconds staring at the screen. Nothing happened. Sighing to himself he tried to think a bit more. He didn't want to have to get up, head to his room, and look up the list of codes on his computer. They'd been ingrained enough into his young brain over the years that he should be able to remember most of them.

"Goo goo ga ga goo!" Lily laughed. Lincoln shot her a halfhearted smile.

"Well at least someone's having a good time," he said, "You don't have anything to worry about do ya? Just get to hang out in your crib all day with everyone doting over you..."

"Goo gee ga ga poopoo!" she replied in some form of an intended response. Lincoln just chuckled.

"Well enjoy it while ya can. Those years...hold on...A, Over...B...B, A, Over...B, B, A..." Lincoln suggested. Again nothing. "Damn it."

"Dam mut!" Lily laughed causing Lincoln's eyes to jump before giving her a disapproving glance.

"...Lily, please don't. We already did that episode," he grumbled inciting another round of giggles. It was hard to stay annoyed at the baby. Beginning to lose interest in his "mission", Lincoln got up and walked over to the crib where he picked the smaller being up. Happily Lily slouched into his arms. "Yeah...you know I still remember when Lucy was your size...I was pretty short then myself. She didn't seem to mind when me and Luan would drag her onto those mechanical horse rides with us...she was always so...quiet..." Lily listened with partial awareness towards the concepts that were being talked about. What Lincoln saw in his arms however was a more dark-haired youngster. One with a black shirt and no smile. He felt his heart growing heavier as his brows bent.

"...Up, Over...A, B, A...Down, Over...A, Down..." he murmured hardly paying attention by that point. Fed up with his gnawing regret he put Lily back in her crib and shoved his hands into his pockets before making his way to the door. He didn't even notice the now illuminated lights of the Assistant-Bot. "Ya know what?...whatever..." he sighed. Lincoln could feel the stairs cave ever so slightly against the pressure of his feet as he descended them, their old boards tempting a few creaks. Why had he even bothered with anything else? Each "favor" that had been placed on him just put the previous one into more of a hiatus, with the only one he truly had any regard for drifting further away each time. Perhaps it'd been the continued requests or the mounting remorse for his failings, but whatever the case was he had reached his limit. As he hit the bottom step Lincoln could see Luan juggling a few eggs in her hands. Spotting him she flashed a grin.

"So?..."

"Nothin'," Lincoln shrugged. Luan gave him a confused look. "Tried all the codes I could think of. The computer didn't do anything."

"Oh...well...thanks anyway..." she sighed, though for whatever reason, it felt like an empty action. It almost felt...scripted. Lincoln would have been more curious about the reaction, but a different matter held his attention.

"...where's dad?..." he asked.

"Led him over to the basement steps with the juggling. Bye!" Luan replied quickly before dashing up the staircase. Lincoln's mouth sunk towards the bottom of his face. What exactly that meant he had his suspicions. Suspicions that were soon confirmed. Splattered in a mess of yellow and white, Lynn Sr. stumbled into the room, his eyes towards the top of his head.

"Th-thanks Leni, I gotta say you really know how to crick out the ol' limbs," he said to the, now bandaged-up, blond girl that was helping him walk.

"Oh it's nothing. I'm like totes experienced with falling down stairs," she assured him, "And this belt is the perfect utility for readjusting popped sockets. No wonder we super heroes wear them!" Whether he understood the final part of the claim or not, their father put his hands on his back to stretch and shook his head. Not seeing Luan anywhere he felt it best to not even bother looking for her and instead resumed his trek to the kitchen, a trek that Lincoln had a moment of hesitation in deciding whether or not he should interfere with it. In the end though he just gave another shrug and headed into the living room instead.

Truth be told he was surprised to see the girl he'd been thinking so much about. He would have figured that, at some point, she would have just left. But there she sat, propped up on the couch with a book in her hand. As casually as he could, Lincoln waltzed over. The book she had her face buried in must have been good as Lucy gave no indication that she realized that he was there. At least not until she felt a thump on the armrest she was against. Popping her head up, she looked to the side and backed up a bit, blushing. She didn't expect to see Lincoln's face staring back at her, just inches from her own. Truly it was just the closeness that incited the intenseness of the reaction, as Lincoln's eyes held a sense of regret and sorrow which bored straight into her.

"...hey..." he mumbled letting his head slump further into the hands he was holding it up with on the arm of the couch. Lucy fidgeted a bit where she sat and put her book off to the side.

"Um...hey..." she mumbled back. The two stared at each for a bit trying to come up with ways to break the silence until Lucy's attempts mustered up a light cough. Lincoln rubbed the back of his head bashfully.

"...so...you're probably...mad at me right?" he sighed. Clasping her hands to her lap, Lucy looked down.

"...no," she told him. At that Lincoln was a bit startled, especially after they'd both given joint recognition to their plans beforehand. "No...I did feel a bit...hurt I guess? When I saw you follow dad upstairs it was kind of...it felt kind of bad. But I'm used to being ignored." Knowing he deserved the expression his downtrodden face had morphed into, Lincoln joined his sister's downward view. "...and I figured you probably had your reasons," she added causing the features to soften a bit.

"Lucy I'm...you have no idea how sorry I-"

"Yes I do," she smiled. Lincoln's lips pursed into a small 'o' from the interruption. Showing little in the way of animosity, Lucy scooted farther away and patted the seat she'd made. Even if he didn't feel that he deserved the spot, Lincoln hopped over the arm of the couch and slumped down next to her.

"...Lucy, I really am-" Lincoln started to reiterate but was stopped by a hand appearing on his arm causing his face to flush.

"It's fine. I forgive you," she told him. Even if it helped alleviate some of his remorse, his face stayed rather disheveled.

"WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE!?" The two jumped as they heard their father's voice echo throughout the house followed quickly by a slamming door. Lincoln cringed for a second, his mind suddenly snapped back to its previous "assignments".

"...well...I don't really deserve it but thanks," he laughed trying not to think about the inevitable repercussions, "but...eh, yeah...I guess it could always be worse than being ignored anyway. I mean look at the shit I go through here on a daily basis." Lucy cocked her head in confusion. Lincoln smirked and elbowed her. "Oh come on, you know what I'm talking about. Everyone trying to get me to do crap for em, fixing everyone's problems, putting up with all the teasing and stuff. I mean hell, you guys KICKED ME OUT OF THE HOUSE AND SOLD ALL MY STUFF that one time." Realizing what he was going on about now, Lucy turned her head to hide her cheeks. He may have been joking around a bit, but it would inspire some fraction of guilt for even the most demeaning of the family when presented with the memories. When put into perspective it did feel like he was owed some lenience. Unfortunately, the person about to put a pause in their conversation hadn't been listening.

"You are lucky that we were back by the time dad got out there," a more annoyed voice said. Lincoln's teeth gripped each other in his mouth while Lucy's hands grabbed his arm. Both of them turned to see Lori leaning in the doorway. "If Lana hadn't already been working on the van we might not have been able to convince him that she was just giving it a tune up. And if he hadn't bought it..." With a loud smack Lori's fist slammed into the palm of her other hand. The two younger Louds backed their heads up slightly until they saw a series of rather painful expressions flash across their older sister's face. Shuddering, the, still clearly sore, fist pulled back and was placed behind Lori's body to keep it out of sight while she attempted to maintain an air of intimidation.

"...you get the idea..." she glared. Angrily she backed out of the room and stomped up the steps, though with a bit of hesitation in a few of the steps, likely due to the feelings resonating from her injured body part. With his main figure of malice gone, Lincoln breathed a heavy sigh of relief. That was one weight he had not cared to bear.

"The offer still stands," Lucy told him thinking back to their conversation in the garage. Lincoln was about to dismiss the idea again but put his finger to his chin before the notion was waved away entirely. Narrowing his eyes he peered at Lucy and then towards the stairs.

"...no...eh...no..." Lincoln murmured. As he repeated the words more quietly he could see a smile growing ever so slightly on Lucy's face. "...No...not...not...yet..." That made the ends of her lips curve upwards more quickly. He couldn't help joining in the expression himself.

"Ya know, you didn't lose EVERYTHING when ya got kicked out," Lucy told him, "I saved your comic."

"No you didn't! I had to get all that back myself!" he barked. Lucy tilted her body back a bit to keep from getting her head bitten off.

"...I meant...the comic...I...made for you..." she elaborated. Lincoln's annoyed face hung in front of her accusingly but over the course of a second or two it sagged and pulled back, a blush on his face.

"Oh..." he coughed attempting to hide the smile that was trying to appear. Noticing the uncomfortable appreciation wrapped around him, Lucy shared in a similar prideful crimson. Neither spoke for a bit in their embarrassed states, but eventually one had to break the silence.

"...so...you uh...ahem, still wanna...do some "training" tonight?..." Lincoln offered. Though a bit startled by the proposition, Lucy eventually gave a confirming gesture and got out his chart to look over.

"...yeah...that-that'd be-...do you think we have time?..." she said. Lincoln shrugged.

"If we don't do something soon we aren't gonna have much time left," he replied. Thinking it over Lucy nodded.

"Alright, well...let's see what you got. Show me your best, uh...goth?" Lucy ordered. Lincoln's eyes went upwards and swam around the tops of his lids in thought. After landing on an idea he cleared his throat.

"Sigh. Depression. Meaningless. Vampires. Sigh. Gloom. Poems," he said as emotionlessly as possible, his eyes half-closed. Having finished the performance life practically popped back into his figure as he thrust his arms outwards awaiting his sister's review. Lucy just sat their not giving any indication that she'd even seen or heard what he'd just done.

"...well...I was right when I said we have work to do..." she stated. Lincoln's head dropped, an annoyed face painted on it.

* * *

Lily rocked around in her crib. She hadn't quite known what her older brother had been trying to do on her sister's clicky-clack toy earlier, but whatever it was it got him to hold her at least, a sensation that she always welcomed. It was an interaction that she doubted she would ever lose interest in. The warmness of their bodies, their scent, their happiness. It brought such sheer primal joy to her simplistic mind. And for some reason he had been talking about their other sisters as well. Lily had thought that perhaps that would have summoned them to his side or at least ensured that they would pay her a visit as well later. But no such fortune came. And so there she lay flopping back and forth on the piece of furniture that she called home, laughs filling the room.

Just then she heard a bang and popped her head over the railing of the crib. Eagerly she looked at the newcomer.

"Goo gee gee?" she chirped happily. Her exuberance soon began to fade. What stood in the doorway was definitely a taller figure, and one that Lincoln may have even talked about, but there was no feeling of innocence to this shadow. Slowly it turned towards the corner that Lisa's wobbly metal-man was sleeping in. Or that it had been sleeping in. Though it didn't move much, it's lights were now on. Lily almost fell over as she saw a wicked grin materialize on the shadow's face, the sound of a knife cutting something accompanying its appearance within her mind. Lisa's new toy lifted its monitor-face towards the intruder as she approached.

"Hello Assistant-Bot," Luan's toothy smile reflected back at her in its translucent screen, "I need your help."

-end of chapter-

Holy hell. That took way longer than I intended for it to. Though I'll probably take a while to get some of these out I do have to apologize for the wait on this one. The last two weeks I've been spending painting this planet that I put up on my deviantart account and that took so much longer than I thought it would (of course I only get to work on that stuff when I'm not at my job, same as when I do this unfortunately). On top of which, why did this chapter turn out this long? I certainly did not intend for that to happen. Regardless though, hope it was alright. Getting into some actual stuff going on now outside of just Lucy and Lincoln bumbling about so there's gonna be some more complications approaching probably, whether they're intended for the pair or not. To see where that leads though you'll have to tune in next time.


	6. Fish Brawler Advance

Chapter 6: Fish Brawler Advance

In the hours that the sunlight began its raking over the town of Royal Woods, houses started to churn with life. Farmers likely already had their plows within the soil of their fields, but for more urban folk their routines were generally less eager to greet the dawn. For someone like Clyde McBride he was kept in a rather followed schedule that ensured his continued enthusiasm for his ones, but for a household as big and loose as his best friend's that was very much the opposite. Those that broke into the conscious realm usually fought, sometimes rather physically, for a proper spot to initiate their time in the bathroom. Of course for one like Lily that wasn't much of a problem since she was young enough that others cared for her, but Lynn was not one to be denied. And she had the fists to back up her cause.

Aside from the usual bathroom skirmish there'd also be the breakfast to take care of. If Lincoln were out and about fast enough he'd likely be able to conjure up food for the rest of his siblings, a talent that had been semi-inherited from his father. But on that morning his appearance was scarce. Lola had only caught glimpses of him near his room and her other neighbors' one while he was talking with the sister immediately older than her. As luck would have it however the scents wafting up the stairs ensured that someone was hard at work preparing their meals, likely their dad. Whomever it was though was causing a number of stomachs to growl, so much so that most of the children had their business upstairs done within record time.

Those that ventured down the steps were greeted to a rather pleasant surprise. By the time Luna strummed her way into the kitchen Lana was running through the rooms with a plate of some delicious-smelling confection.

"Mmmm, where am I? Alice's Resturaunt?" the rock-star joked swiping a plate near the stove near her father. One bite nearly had her humming along with whatever tune she'd been attempting to play. Like knives, her teeth cut through the soft layers of thinned pancake and ground into the cooked chicken and vegetables within, the hollandaise sauce erupting throughout her jaws. Had Luna not had the food in her mouth the sensation would have had saliva pouring from it instead. But as it were she merely joined her kin in their union of feasting in the living room. While Lola and Lana sat at the dinner table, Lori and Leni conversed with each other through their "like"s and "literally"s while Lynn practiced dribbling a basketball around the various pieces of furniture decorating the first floor of the house.

Seeing a spot, Luna plopped down on the couch causing her brother and one of her younger sisters to bounce from the impact. Whatever they were discussing seemed to be very engaging. It sounded like the middle of a poem that she'd sat down next to, but as it went on it evolved into more of a conversation and then into more of physical communication rather than verbal. Lucy would say something in her nearly-silent voice and then Lincoln would either repeat it or say something back and then occasionally they would throw in a hand gesture or two. Sometimes they'd go a good fifteen seconds doing just their hand motions, seeming to prefer conversing that way instead of with words at times. Hand motions which would either paint their faces with happiness or disapproval. Even if she hadn't been eating Luna probably would be too lost in her eternal musical thoughts to attempt much insight as to what they were "talking" about.

As she strummed her guitar once more she saw a much smaller figure bouncing down the stairs. Bobbing her head to the rhythmic jumps of the toddler, Luna's hands began to pluck the chords more in-tune with Lisa's movements, a change that did not go unnoticed by the young scientist. Shooting her an annoyed glance, Lisa turned her head towards the ceiling and made sure to change the pace of her steps as she scurried into the kitchen leaving Luna to chuckle to herself as she took another bite of the Florentine Chicken. One plate remain untouched however, even after Lisa had collected her one. Pacified in their individual activities, all the residents that had made it downstairs likely didn't notice the low whirring that was wheeling by upstairs, if they even heard it at all. But it was most certainly audible to the one that had remained above. As the wheels of the Assistant-Bot came to a stop in front of the door next to the bathroom it opened allowing a grinning girl to lead it inside.

"Glad to see the commands worked," Luan said. Wanting to ensure the privacy of the arrangement, she closed the door and locked it. "Now then, MY trusty assistant, let's see what you got..." The monitor that sat in place of where its head would have been reflected Luan's face back at her and began flipping through various images. Some of pranks. Some of boys. Some of sheer chaos. Maniacally the teenage mischief maker laughed.

* * *

With a strut in his step, Clyde McBride made his way through the halls of Royal Woods Elementary School. For most, the time at school wasn't one to be enjoyed so happily, but for him it was hardly ever a dull day as long as his brother-in-arms was present. Of course it probably helped that he had gotten the proper amount of sleep and attended to each of his ritualistic patterns for getting ready for the day with more dedication than many of his peers. He could see their faces sagging with sleep and deprivation of enthusiasm. But not him. For Clyde it was another journey of potential, possibly health-endangering, shenanigans.

While he may have been more tempted to follow the rules more than some, Clyde liked to believe that deep down he had the spirit of a lion. A daredevil to the end, just with a bit more caution so as to ensure his continued, non-consequence-having, existence. After all, he wasn't an idiot. His fathers may have raised him to do the right thing, but they also knew to promote their son's safety. If it came down to it however...well...one or the other...that was a rather hard choice. To put himself into harm's way to get the job done. Sure he'd participated in his fair share of risky stunts over the years with Lincoln, but normally that was not without some pressure from his friend first. And even then, sometimes it was sheer accidents. And then there was the rare occasion where desire did overrule reason.

Of course he knew the choice that Lincoln himself would probably choose without a second thought. That was one of the things that differentiated the two. And still, they remained inseparable. With some effort Clyde pushed the cafeteria doors open revealing a room of several similarly aged children within. Spotting a head of white-hair, he grabbed a tray from the counter, collected the food he wanted, and slid into position next to Lincoln. On the other side of the table sat Liam and Rusty, the former greedily stuffing his face full of the mess he'd mashed the vegetables and meat on his tray into while Rusty seemed frozen with a slice of a carrot on his fork as he watched the savage boy devour his meal.

"Well, you definitely seem to like what they've got today," Clyde laughed. Liam took a pause to lift his head from the whirlwind he'd been shoveling into his mouth to nod happily, a mixture of food dripping from his face in the process.

"Yep, this here grub reminds me of some good ol' corned beef and cabbage!" he replied before continuing his quest. Both Rusty and Clyde shielded their faces from the continued pigpen of a display. Clyde would've extended his viewing, but the lack of the table's other inhabitant intrigued him more. One look at Lincoln gave him more of an understanding as to why. Despite the table-shuddering chaos going on just a foot away from him, Lincoln seemed to be busy writing something as he periodically stopped to take a bite from his tray. Curiously, Clyde looked over the boy's shoulder and peered at the sheet of paper.

"...within the darkness of velvet crimson, I...I wake and bray...to...to..." Clyde's voice widened Lincoln's eyes slightly realizing what he was reading. A fusion of annoyance and unease crawling across his persona, Lincoln pulled the piece of paper further away from Clyde's field of view and glowered at him. Clyde just smiled back bashfully. "Sorry...just...wondering what that's about..."

"Oh don't pay him no mind," Liam said wiping his mouth with his arm, "Lincoln's just been practicing some rhymin' stuff."

"Yeah, probably for some project or something," Rusty added as he started in on his own food now that Liam's "show" was concluded, "got me as to what that could be though. Nothing in Writing has rhymes going on right now."

"It's just practice," Lincoln grumbled, "when you live in my house you gotta be ready for anything."

"Lucy?" Clyde smiled. Lincoln's puff of air from his nose was enough of an answer. "I'm just glad it's you that has to live with that and not me," he laughed, "I do NOT need a repeat of that "big-brother" training."

"Oh you just about got it..." Lincoln said absentmindedly under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing," Lincoln smiled. Figuring it best to leave well enough alone, Clyde finally got to his meal. Lincoln on the other hand hardly touched his for the duration of the period. In light of the previous days "distractions", he'd decided to crack down on instilling his head with as much as he could for the preparations he'd be partaking in. While his demeanor was something he couldn't do much about during school hours, the grammar and patterns that he knew his speech should be focusing on was something that he most certainly could. He ran his hand through his hair as he tried to think of more verses for his current terza rima. Sure he didn't particularly NEED to rehearse the basics of poetry since all he'd probably have to do is just stand next to Lucy, but it was always good to be ready. And besides, Lucy would probably appreciate his refreshed practice of the craft.

"Oh for thee upon thy hay

Do you writhe and lay

For in the fields of pleasure yore

Do you long for and adore."

The table collectively looked at Liam once more, now though more out of stupefied confusion rather than due to his eating habits.

"...what the heck was that?" Rusty asked breaking the silence.

"Well, you know, Lincoln's workin' on some poetry stuff. Just...felt appropriate and what-not," the country boy responded. Clyde was just snickering to himself.

"Well, it was a pretty cute pastoral," Lincoln shrugged.

"Thank you," Liam said politely, happy that someone had appreciated his stunt, "...what's a pastoral?" Lincoln would have answered him, but to the misfortune of his unfinished meal, the bell rang signaling for a shift in rooms. Hurriedly he stuffed some chicken nuggets into his pockets and congregated to the doors with his friends. As they filed through the halls Lincoln spotted a tuff of black hair bobbing through the crowd. Spotting his own head Lucy peered over at him. At first her face held her default blank mouth but after glancing towards the ground quickly it bent into a small smile, one that Lincoln joined in. The two did their best to give a proper recognition of each others' presence, but in their limited interaction they could only allow for so much hesitated reactions before they had to awkwardly break off towards other matters. They may not have wanted to increase the distance, but there was at least solace in the knowledge that it wouldn't be that much longer before they'd be able to reunite.

* * *

In the darkened corner of the room to the left of Lincoln's a head lifted up from its resting space. Normally it'd be due to the response of feeling someone enter the room or give a sign for wanting to be known, but this sample of awareness had been a repeated event. It was likely the fifth or sixth time that the small being had peered over the edge of its crib within the past hour. And it had become quite an anxious ordeal the further it had continued. Lily was used to whatever Lisa's current experiment might have been. Beakers bubbling with volatile and destructive substances and Tesla Coils conducting currents of electricity were simply normal. But this...the very air of the house had begun to feel different every since the departure of her siblings that morning.

At first it'd been a little chitter or chatter here or there. Possibly some of those fuzzy non-hamsters that might have gotten loose from their testing cages. Lily did enjoy trying to chase those critters. But these sounds...they'd been more...orchestrated. More...intentional in their menace. Narrowing her eyes the baby tried to analyze what she could see. The room had mostly been the same as it had prior to her family leaving. Sure her mom or dad came in every so often to either take her downstairs or play with her or change her diaper, but she'd essentially been allotted free reign of the room. And in her time alone it looked to be the same as it had always been. The only exception was that Lisa's new "metal-man" had not returned after its assisting of her brother and sisters that morning.

Another crashing sound caused Lily to fall back into her crib in fright. That one had been closer than prior alarms. But this was her house, and at that moment she was what stood between the sanctity of Loud family's dwelling and whatever had taken up the role of terrorizing it. The baby's face now scrunched into a glare, Lily grabbed a rattle, threw her blankets of the side of the crib, and slid down them to the ground below. Looking around quickly, she attempted to somersault into a hiding position behind the leg of Lisa's bed but landed on her stomach and decided to crawl the rest of the way. A very hurried crawl if nothing else though.

From her new position Lily poked her head out into the open and sniffed the air. She wasn't sure what advantage that gave her, she just knew it's what you were supposed to do. With the procedure done she flopped back onto the ground and crawled to the doorway where she stood up and pressed her back against it before giving her palm a firm smack with the rattle. Whatever the intruder depriving her of her naps was was going to be in more trouble than a burglar would have been when the family had been on the lookout for one. Lily tried to twirl out into the hall with her rattle pointed out in front of her but instead just fell on her face.

"Goo gee..." she grumbled forcing herself into a four-legged position. She didn't have to be listening to hear the sounds crickling through the corridors of the house. Realizing she'd exposed herself to whatever was outside of her room, Lily clutched her rattle tighter and braced for impact. There was something in the distance coming towards her. Fast. "Goo GA!" she yelled. Another figure shot out of another room and joined the first one. Luckily there came no collision. Instead a dog and cat rushed hurriedly past her, Charles shooting her an apologetic glance as they passed. Lily blinked and laughed.

"Gaga!" she waved. Eagerly she crawled after the pair of animals. Though her attention span was short, it wasn't for that that she did not stay preoccupied. Within seconds her focus was drawn back to the hall she now traversed, her few bits of hair standing on end. Something had gone by her. Not just sound but wind. She could feel the air breeze across her skin. Hastily she whipped around. Lily may have wanted to catch the culprit, but a surge of fear now whisked across her body. What if this thing were a monster? Or worse, a monster that other monsters were afraid of? Lily could feel tears beginning to form in her eyes. She didn't want to be scared by something that other scary things were scared of. Lucy was bad enough! What if it had spikes? What if it ate babies? What if it didn't cut Lisa's sandwiches the way she liked them sliced!? Fear after fear played through the infant's head until eventually she found herself rocking back and forth on the ground with water streaming down her cheeks. She wanted to be back in her crib! She wanted to be under her sheets! She wanted-

The tears stopped flowing as she felt another breeze and looked up. Frantically a yellow bird rushed by. Lily blinked the gooey panic out of her eyes a couple of times before rubbing the optical units herself and standing up. Smiling she let out a sigh. It'd just been Walt. Lily almost felt silly. Almost. The relieving giggling she was stuttering into ended pretty quickly due to the shadow that had begun to be cast over her. Studying the encompassing darkness, Lily gulped and began to reluctantly turn around. With a startle she fell backwards and gazed up at the towering entity. There, positioned right in front of her was Lisa's "metal-man". Its dulled screen peered down at her while sleek tendrils whipped about from its shoulder-sockets, one holding a paint-brush and the other a hammer. Lily was too enraptured in fear to even cry. She didn't even realize she'd stopped breathing. Normally she'd have given the device a hug but this...this was...not the normal "metal-man". Its figure seemed to grow bigger and bigger over her, threatening with notions of collapse, like a tree cut by a lumberjack. She could feel the tears forming once more as her limbs began to pedal her backwards.

"Goo-g-g-GOO GOO!" Lily cried. Slowly the mechanical being wheeled after her snail-like speed. Her acceleration soon changed though. Within seconds she was crawling backwards through the hall, the wheel-based figure keeping pace with her with ease. "GA GA! GOO GEE GA!" the baby called out flipping over to see where she was crawling. She didn't dare look back. She just kept crawling as fast as possible. Then her movement reversed. Something was pulling her! With a yelp she was pulled into the air, her body suspended by one of the tentacles that was bringing her towards the "face" of the Assistant-Bot. Not knowing what to do, the young Loud threw her rattle as hard as possible. With a crack sounding Lily felt the constriction loosen and she dropped to the ground where she hurriedly crawled towards the end of the hall. She didn't even change course to retreat back into her room. She just darted into the room directly in front of her. Using all her strength, the baby thrust the door shut and pressed her back against it. Her chest rose and fell slower and slower until she slumped to the ground in front of the door and started crying.

* * *

Lana and Lola walked side by side as they stepped into the house. The feeling of relief that came with the end of the school day was a euphoria that was hardly matched by much else, and that typically left them rather happy upon their return. Such was the case that day as they progressed through the downstairs eagerly throwing off their respective carrying cases, sheets of school papers fluttering through the air in their wake. The look-a-likes were relatively calm until they got to the living room. To their astonishment no one was sitting in it. And what's more the television remote had been left on the arm of the couch. It just sat there. Staring at them. Their pupils shrunk as a light shine flashed across its surface and they glared at each other.

All at once the twins charged, their hands outstretched and feet in the air. Desperation dripped from their tightened faces. They didn't know nor care who had grabbed the piece of plastic first. All that mattered was who survived. Though at first flung into the air, the control soon found itself within the grip of a pink-clad hand, its digits clamping around it as if to choke the life from it. Lola wouldn't have needed to squeeze so tightly had it not been for her sister who was currently wrestling her in an attempt to break it free from her grip, a task that she eventually did manage, but not without her fair share of scratches. She was about to turn the television on when she felt an arm wrap around her throat and pull her back, a gesture that was only worsened by another hand that flung over her head and pulled her upper jaw open to help propel her backwards into a flip that landed her on her stomach.

"Gimme that!" Lola growled. With a clack her hand snatched it. "Thank yo-"

"Oh like hell you do!" Lana spat. Lola's mouth dropped as she saw the same-sized girl leap into the air, her arms outstretched. With a grunt Lola hit the ground under her.

"That's mine!" she yelled.

"Nuh uh!" Lana yelled back reaching for it. Somehow or another it did get pulled into the cloud of punches and kicks that was forming.

"Get your own TV!" the more girly voice screamed.

"First come first serve!" the other yelled.

"Then that means it's mine!"

"Get your hands off of it you bitch!"

"I'll kill you!"

The rather vocal skirmish lasted for a good few minutes before it died down enough for the combatants to be comprehensible amidst the layered dust storm they'd kicked up. Whether it be due to exhaustion or an admission of defeat, the two blond-haired children ultimately found themselves panting and unmoving on the couch. They rolled their heads to face each other and contemplated one last vain attempt at an assault before rocking back into more casualized seating, the fight spent from their bodies. Smirking, Lola grabbed the remote that Lana hadn't realized was now just sitting between them and flicked the television on, its screen soon displaying a brazened display of pageant dresses. Lana's eyelids lowered while her frown heightened.

"...bitch..." she muttered. Lana blinked a few times and moved her lips in a circular motion around her face before taking a finger and running it along the inside of her mouth. Drawing her finger back she peered at the red liquid coating it. Had she the energy she would have shot her twin a dirty look, but as it were she just shrugged and slumped back into the couch, her arms crossed over her chest. She could think of any number of things she'd rather be doing than viewing the garbage show that her sister insisted upon, but she simply didn't have the strength to formulate those thoughts, let alone move from her seat. Instead she decided to look around the room.

All seemed normal within the room but her eyes came to fix on something from the one beyond the doorway instead. What had been rather hushed voices had been getting louder since the time that she and Lola had entered the living room and as they came closer she could now see just who was talking to each other, not that it'd been much of a mystery given the voices and who had followed them home from the bus. It wasn't necessarily the action of them conversing that made the pair stand out in her mind, but moreso the...way they interacted. Sure Lucy would reply to those that talked to her, but the way they seemed to be talking, it was...more engaging than she normally was. When Lincoln would say something Lucy would respond almost in flow with his sentence. There was hardly a pause, no silence between to mark a grim face. Just a continued conversation. And even...smiles from her...more than one.

It was...unsettling in its unexpectedness. She was acting...more...normal. Now that Lana thought about it, Lincoln and Lucy had been sitting next to each other on their rides to school each day throughout the week and she could have sworn she even spotted them sitting together on the bus at least once. THAT was just strange. Everybody knew Lincoln sat with Clyde. EVERYBODY. Lana's eyes narrowed at the two. What were they up to? She almost had to thank Lola. These contemplations were probably more interesting than whatever she could've found on TV at that time of day. Not that she'd thank her for the view she was about to look towards. Noticing that the pair were headed straight towards the room they were in, Lana forced her head to face the TV so as not to draw attention to herself, but she made sure to keep her eyes' scope on their figures. She noticed them stop, likely realizing that she and Lola were "watching" TV themselves.

They seemed to stay standing there for a second. From how Lana was currently viewing them it was somewhat hard to make out their actions, but Lucy felt like she turned her head towards Lincoln before something happened. Curiosity overtaking her, Lana looked back to the side again fully to see Lincoln's hand pulling her arm up the stairs. In the fraction of a second that she had to look at the older girl before she disappeared she could have sworn she saw a little smile on her warm face. Once they were out of sight Lana put a finger to her lip and lifted her eyebrow.

"...hey Loes, you...notice anything...odd about Lucy and Lincoln this week?.." she murmured through her thoughts.

"The only thing I'm noticing is this dress! Oh my god! Look at that glitter!" Lola squeed back causing her twin to wince. Putting her pinky in the ear nearest to Lola, Lana glowered at her.

"Can ya take your eyes off of that for a second? I'm trying to-"

"Of course! I gotta go get my phone to take some pictures of this stuff!" Lola grinned, "oh I can't wait to show Leni! Knowing her she'll have one made by the end of the night!"

"But-" before Lana could get another word out Lola was on her feet and charging up the stairs. Lana just dropped her head. The combination of fatigue and failed deductions was just too much for her worn body to support. Soon though a burst of energy lifted it back up. Grinning, she grabbed the remote and flipped the TV to a show about construction-work. With a happy sigh she slid back further into the couch cushions. "Take your time..."

* * *

With a swipe of his hand Lincoln shoved the majority of items that'd been sitting on the table in his room to the side to make way for the pile of books, pencils, and other such clutter to spill forth from his backpack. His guest meanwhile deposited her own pack next to his door before walking over to join him at the piece of furniture. As his wobbling of the near-empty carrying-case became less and less violent Lucy spotted a square piece of paper poking out of the books and sheets. Perplexed by its small size she grabbed it and took a look. Lincoln put his hands on his hips after disposing of his emptied pack and grinned at the girl next to him. She herself seemed to have a teasing smile, but for a different reason. Noticing Lincoln's stare she showed him the picture of Ronnie Anne that she was holding which he immediately grabbed and slid under a book, his mouth now bent into an annoyed scrunch.

"...sigh..." he said flattening his face into a more neutral expression. The unexpected response almost made Lucy jump. "Nobody ever lets me have any privacy. Nothing is sacred in this...b...bleak?...household..." Lincoln continued in a deadpan tone as he turned to face her. Had she any other personality Lucy would have chuckled from Lincoln trying to find an appropriate word to say. But for what it was worth he did seem to have the spirit, or lack-there-of, for the identity he was attempting. The smirk she gave him felt like validation enough to drop back into his more vibrant personality.

"You're getting there..." Lucy said as she rubbed her chin. Lincoln beamed down at her. "I imagine if you'd been in-character beforehand you'd probably not have stumbled."

"Well excuse me miss cobweb-queen," Lincoln grumbled.

"You're excused," she said accepting the nickname which only deepened Lincoln's dropping face, "you have made progress though. You've certainly got the right idea with the tone, but you're forcing it a bit. Let it flow more naturally. Indulge in the dreariness." Lucy grasped Lincoln's hands within her own and lifted them between their bodies causing him to instinctively try to back up. "Let it become you..." her voice's air whispered across his face as she stood on her toes to try and bring herself up to his height. The closeness and intimacy of the words swam a flush of red from his nose and into his cheeks.

"Uh-uh...uh..." he stammered trying to formulate words.

"No. Like this. Uh...uh...uh..." Lucy corrected trying to show him the tone that his voice should emulate. Her insisting presence was not helping. She truly did know how to make someone uncomfortable.

"...uh...uh...uh..." Lincoln repeated, this time in a less enthusiastic voice.

"Uh...uh..." Lucy continued pressing closer to him.

"...uh..." Lincoln gave the third one for her. With how close she had gotten he could feel her warm breath brush across his cheeks with each exhale. Through his lowered eyelids he could have sworn he saw two round objects move through her hair. It was faint and nearly unnoticeable, but the shifts in the spheres beyond the strands gave away the notion of her viewership as much as he was peering into her. Not quite realizing what he was doing he lifted a hand to the side of her head and hooked his thumb between a few of the raven locks. Instantly he heard a swift intake of air from her nose and mouth and felt her body tense up. A deep crimson poured across the upper portion of her face from where she was watching the digit that had dug its way into the abode that her head dwelt within slowly moving the strands of hair. Lucy's mouth had pursed quite significantly from the action. She could feel saliva shunt down her throat in anxiousness. It was an action that felt almost like it wasn't even happening with how slowly the thumb was pulling, but it was pulling. Light had been drizzling through the opening in her head's curtain bit by bit. She could have pulled away. She could have told him to stop. But she didn't.

To the misfortune of Lincoln's subconscious curiosity however the action was cut short. Both of them jumped from a shrill scream that ripped its way through the room. Lucy and Lincoln looked hastily at the wall then at each other.

"...the fuck was that?" he asked.

"Lola," Lucy answered, her tone a bit deeper than it had been moments prior. The duo shared a hesitated look. "...she probably just misplaced some lipstick or something..." Lucy suggested.

"And if she didn't?" Lincoln questioned. Lucy's disapproving silent plea dropped with her head.

"Sigh..." Reluctantly she followed her brother into the hall and joined the group that had formed at the room next to his. With some pushing they found their way into a viewing position and collectively peered into the room with the other sisters. There, at her tea-table, sat Lola. And in her hands was her stuffed giraffe. Only it looked different. A pang of discomfort hit them as they realized what was wrong. It'd been resewn inside out!

"...WHO DID THIS?" the younger girl yelled furiously. The group exchanged worried glances and backed up. "WHICH ONE OF YOU SONS OF BITCHES DID THIS?!"

"Lola, Lincoln's the only-"

"Leni, not now!" Lori exclaimed gripping her mouth shut. The collection of sibling scrambled over each other to try and evacuate from the approaching munchkin, a death-glare bolted onto her face. Noticing that no one was doing anything to prevent her advance, Lincoln grabbed the handle of the door and slammed it shut. They could almost feel the ground shake with each footstep that pounded from the other side. Then the door pushed forward. Lincoln planted his feet as firmly as he could in the carpet to keep it held in place. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed some machine whiz from one room to another in the background. Soon Lori joined him and then Leni and Lynn. Gritting their teeth they kept the rattling board restrained.

"Open this damn door! I'm going to kill you! I mean it! I'm going to...going to...WAHHHH HAHHH HAHHHHH!" The faces of fear turned to sorrow as they heard the little girl fall to the ground crying. Many likely didn't care to just leave her there, but for their own potential safety the siblings slowly departed back to their own chambers or previous endeavors. For Lucy and Lincoln that meant returning to their interrupted practices. Lincoln spared one last grimace at the door next to his before shutting his one.

"Well...it wasn't lipstick..." Lucy commented, having been legitimately surprised by the revelation.

"Indeed. That giraffe had been rather badly inverted," Lincoln replied in a similarly emotionless voice. Though under the veil of the recent "tragedy", Lucy smirked at his competing feigned disinterest.

"I'll have to see if I can find a proper coffin in the basement," she added, "it looked to be roughly size-Charles. Give or take an inch." Lincoln just smiled and shook his head.

"Yeah, grim soulessness and all that, but seriously I feel kind of bad. That was...fucked up. Who do you think did tha-...wait...size-Charles?...you haven't made one for-" Lincoln stopped and stared at the goth wide-eyed. She merely displayed a toothy grin. "...seriously?.."

"We all die sooner or later Lincoln. I figured it's just best to be prepared," Lucy shrugged, "Mom and dad's have probably been the hardest though. They take up way more space than any of us."

"Oh my god..." Lincoln grumbled rubbing his forehead.

"Do not worry Lincoln, I'm making sure that you get the premium package. Mahogany shell, plush lining, and a hint of roses for if nobody brings any," she almost recited. The memorized list was unnerving to say the least.

"You know you don't NEED to tell me this," Lincoln stated.

"I don't mind," she said.

"I can tell," he glowered. The grin reemerged on the smaller Loud's face.

"It's something you should be working on yourself. If you're gonna be with me you shouldn't mind talking about it," she told him as she put a finger on his chest and twirled it around, "boyyyfriend..." Lincoln could feel his lower eyelids press upwards from the teasing. He was sure his complexion had reddened as well. Apparently Lucy had felt the effects herself as she quickly retracted her limb and coughed upon seeing the face that he gave. "Kfh-hm...heh...eh...yeah I...guess I could tone down the...morbidness."

"What? No!" Lincoln exclaimed. Lucy looked at him startled by the reaction. "Er-I-y-you shouldn't do that for me. I don't want you to have to change or nothin'. You're fine the way you are." Lucy looked towards the bed to hide her own blush. "Y-you're right. I just need to work on it a bit. And I promise. I WILL be ready by Friday," he assured her walking over to put a hand on her shoulder. That may have helped the spirit, but it did no favors for her face.

"Don't worry Lincoln...I trust you..." she assured him. Being sure to keep her head tilted downwards, Lucy took him by the hand and turned around. Lincoln did the same figuring where she was planning to sit. "But yes. Hopefully with no more distractions, let us venture forth into the trials and tribulations of your undead studies." In unison the two flopped back onto the bed behind them. Normally a squeak or even just the pressure of the coils might sound from such an object's abuse, but instead there came a different sound. As the two bounced into sitting positions a pained "GOO GOO!" belted out from the bed's underside. Lucy and Lincoln's bodies straightened in a mixture of surprise and worry. Hesitantly they looked at each other and then bent forward to look towards the ground below. Before too long a rather annoyed looking Lily crawled out from beneath the mattress. Though at first shooting them a somewhat irate scowl as she nursed the side of her head, the face slunk into worry and then thankfulness at which point she waddled over to hug their legs. Lucy and Lincoln just looked at each other in confusion.

"...I thought the roommate thing didn't work out," Lucy said.

"It didn't," Lincoln confirmed. They looked back down at the baby that seemed to be clutching onto them for dear life. Lily's worry lifted a bit with her body as the two older siblings picked her up and set her between them.

"Hey, what's this all about squirt?" Lincoln asked rubbing the small girl's head, "Why're you hanging out down there? Oh! I know, you're after some Ace Savvy aren't ya?"

"Oh please, if she wanted to spend time with someone else's interests it'd clearly be her wanting to learn more about the spirits I commune with," Lucy scoffed earning a frown from her brother.

"Well her room-choice seems to say otherwise," he smirked. Lucy gave a lour similar to the one she'd just received.

"Yes, because she really wants to waste her time looking at comics," she argued.

"Didn't seem to mind it when she hung out with me!" Lincoln shot back.

"And she didn't mind the old photographs I showed her when she hung out with me!"

"Yeah, cause that's really more exciting than an adventure through a crime-ridden city!"

"You might have to do it for training too!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Yeah, but that wouldn't help my argument!" Lincoln retorted. Quarreling on their teeth, they growled and pressed their faces towards each other. Though they'd been eager for their time together, their egos on the current matter didn't seem to care. Fortunately there was another voice that had a say in the scene, and one that did not have any interest in their competition.

"Goo ga!" Lily exclaimed breaking the two older Louds away from each other to look down at her. She looked almost ready to cry. Immediately they bent back down to comfort the littler sister.

"Aw, it's okay Lily look, we-we're happy!" Lincoln laughed wrapping his arm around Lucy's neck.

"Yes, quite! I was not at all thinking about how soon Lincoln's funeral service might get here!" Lucy forced her own smile to aide in the effort, though her words had diminished those notions causing both of the other people in the room to stare at her, "...what?" Lincoln contemplated scooting a bit further away from the black-haired girl, but his attention was drawn back to the baby. Not understanding what the two were even trying to apologize for, Lily pushed off of them and jumped up flailing her arms around. Lincoln and Lucy gave each other somewhat confused looks. Lily slapped her face. Obviously she would have to give a more vivid line of communication. Once their focus had returned to her she thought through the motions and put her hands under the side of her head and closed her eyes.

"You want to sleep?" Lucy asked. Lily popped an eye open and shook her head.

"You...were sleeping?..." Lincoln guessed. She smiled and nodded. "Guess I do know her better," he boasted.

"Sigh," Lucy grumbled. Ignoring whatever their personal conflict was, Lily continued with her charades and put a hand to her ear.

"Oh oh, you hear something!" Lincoln guessed receiving another nod.

"Yes, that was exceedingly hard to figure out," Lucy commented. Lily then made a rectangular shape with her fingers in the air and put her hand into the center of the shape before throwing it out and putting her hands together, one on top of the other. She then brought the bottom hand out and put it on top of the top one. Then brought the one that had sunk to the bottom out and put it on top again. She kept doing this as the audience continued to watch.

"You...had a box...that...you wanted to...climb up?..." Lincoln said scratching his head. Lily kept "climbing" with a more stern look now on her face.

"It's her crib," Lucy corrected, "she threw some blankets out and climbed down them to get to the floor." Happily Lily pointed at her and Lucy grinned in Lincoln's direction. He just crossed his arms over his chest. They almost missed the next part. Lily put a hand to her forehead in a manner that one might shield light from their vision and kept turning her body with her eyes merely slits on her investigating face.

"You were...looking around..." Lincoln figured. Not bothering to give a confirmation, Lily broke into the next bit with a startle and faked a face of fright before jumping off the bed, running around, and darting underneath it. Again, Lucy and Lincoln's competing faded in favor of questionable glances.

"Something scared her..." Lucy deduced.

"And she came here for safety..." Lincoln finished. A somewhat weary Lily crawled back out and nodded. "...but...why here? What scared you so bad that you took cover under my bed?" Lily bit her lip and looked around before giving one last imitation, this one moving more stiffly. First she jerked her arm forward, then back to her side, did the same with her leg, took a snap of a step forward, twisted her body suddenly before following the twist with her legs, and jerked her head about in quick motions.

"A demon..." Lucy garnered from the motions almost too excitedly.

"No...that looks more like...a machine..." Lincoln thought aloud. A pang of fear crossed Lily's face and she gulped. "...a...robot?..." Slowly the baby nodded her head. Lincoln's eyes widened and he looked at Lucy, the older sister of the room already looking back at him. They looked back at Lily who motioned a rattle in her hand that she then pretended to throw. She then motioned getting hit in the head by something and fell over halfway before popping back up and running in a panic towards the door that she pretended to slam shut. Looks of concern now crossed the faces of her brother and sister. They weren't quite sure just what had frightened the baby so much, but in the back's of their minds suspicion was rousing and an air of unease began to fill the room. The suspense culminated in another scream, this time an older one. Sparing a quick glance at each other, Lincoln and Lucy hopped to their feet and raced down the hall, Lily looking on in worry from where she clutched the frame of Lincoln's door.

* * *

A loud clack sounded throughout the crowded room from the heel of the shoe that the oldest Loud sibling slammed down. The murmuring voices instantly hushed as their owners stared at her. Her eyes almost knives, Lori scanned the room. Each of her siblings sat before her, and in their midst one of them sought to bring about ruination and disaster to the household. Her eyes jumped from head to head trying to deduce any signs of hesitation or uncomfortableness, but nothing of the sort registered. Just a number of confused and, sometimes, sorrowful or angry faces.

"Well now, I think we all know why we're here..." Lori started.

"Uh, cause we heard Leni scream?" Lynn pointed out.

"Well, yes, but I like meant to lead into the literally more important matter because of that," Lori pointed out, "That being us figuring out who the fuck is pulling this shit." The collected children gasped as one of Leni's favorite dresses was yanked out of her hands and hoisted into the air by the oldest sister to display the rather abysmally camouflage-dyed fabric it now possessed.

"Woah, I didn't know Leni liked such awesome color schemes!" Lana exclaimed.

"I DON'T!" she cried plunging her sobbing face into her folded arms. While most of the others tried to look away from the saddening display, Lana, not seeing why one would reject such a well done piece, just shrugged. Sympathetically, Lori patted her roommate on the back.

"What we are here for is to find the culprit that has been doing this to our stuff!" Lori announced, "Ever since we've gotten home most of us have seen their handiwork. Dressers having mismatched clothing, sometimes from each other's collections. Unwelcome objects underneath our pillows and beds. And some incidents being literally disastrous! So whoever it is, make it easy on yourself and come forward. Though I think we have a pretty good idea who it probably is..." Almost everybody turned to either glare or look at the white-shirted member of the family, her pupils shrinking a fraction from all the attention placed on her.

"What? You think it was me? I wouldn't prankseve such capers! Ha ha ha..." Luan laughed. Seeing the unmoved faces she shifted her mouth a bit. "Okay, I know it wasn't the best wording, but that's all I could come up with on such short-"

"We don't give a crap about your stupid pun," Lori told her sternly, "if we find out you're behind this you're probably gonna have some trouble making ANY words come out of your mouth."

"I say we just cut her tongue out," Lola spat, "or cut a more VITAL part..."

"I really do need to check how prepared the coffins are," Lucy commented quietly. Lincoln gave her a disbelieving moue. "What? It's just good business practice."

"Geez, y-you guys are a tougher crowd than normal today..." Luan chuckled as she pulled at her collar.

"When we find Geo's hamster-ball colored like a bowling ball and stuck in a gutter, yeah, we are," Lynn pointed out.

"Look, honest, I haven't been in ANY of your rooms today," Luan told them. Hardly anyone seemed to ease away from their target. Their brother however had been thinking along some other lines.

"...what if it wasn't one of us?" Lincoln proposed. Even Lucy looked at him, though she had some idea as to what his suggestion may entail. "I mean...you said we CAME HOME to find things like this. Luan was at school too right?" Lola and Lori included had to think that fact over. They'd been so sure of who it must have been, but how could she have done it? Luan herself breathed a, mostly internal, sigh of relief.

"Well alright then Stinkin, who is it?" Lynn asked.

"Well think about it. Who is here all day long?" Lincoln replied.

"Lily!" Leni growled. Lincoln's head dropped.

"And would have the ability to go around doing all this stuff? That can get pretty much get everywhere and do everything?" he added. The other siblings exchanged confused looks.

"...did we do something to make mom mad?" Lana asked.

"No way, this is dad getting back at us for what we said about his mozzarella cereal thing he made!" Lynn claimed. Before long the room was in an uproar as to whom they should put the blame on. Lincoln's annoyed face looked to the left to see the black-haired girl staring at him.

"...maybe if you mentioned it was made of metal," Lucy suggested.

"Lisa's Assistant-Bot!" Lincoln yelled. Immediately the commotion stopped and even the inventor herself, whom had been spending most of the time fiddling with some device, spared a viewing of her brother. The eyes of the room went back and forth between the two.

"...that's preposterous," Lisa said, "why would it decide to start pranking people?"

"I don't know. But have you seen it today?" Lincoln asked folding his arms over his chest. Lisa's head dipped back down towards the device in her hands.

"...actually...no. I've been trying to find it, but the tracker kept showing its location in different parts of the house. It was moving around too much for me to catch it. And as of fifteen minutes ago the tracking chip apparently died..."

"Great, so we got another of your haywire death-machines to worry about," Lynn scoffed.

"Uh uh uh, PRANKmachine!" Luan corrected with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

"So even worse then..."

"But this makes no sense. It wouldn't just decide to start doing this. Someone would have had to have asked for its help. And even then, when we left this morning it had returned to my room to power-down," Lisa told them. Again the siblings peered at the prankster of the household.

"W-what? She just said it went back to her room!" Luan exclaimed. A light lining of sweat was beginning to form on her brow.

"Ugh! We'll deal with whomever's responsible later. For right now though, everyone should return to their rooms and make sure all of their stuff's on lockdown! Meet back here afterwards," Lori ordered.

"And bring your pitchforks," Lola added being sure to glare at Luan. All she could do was give a sheepish grin.

"Dismissed!" A final clack of Lori's shoe marked the end of the meeting and the mass of kids dispersed from the room. Lincoln could see Lily pop her head out from behind his doorway. Before he could make it to his room however he was yanked into the bathroom. As he shook his head around to try and get a grasp on the swift motion he'd been swept up in he heard the lock of the door click and lost his vision. Someone had turned out the lights. He almost screamed when a flashlight lit up a face in front of him from underneath, but the person's hand clamped over his mouth. His heart beat less and less frequently as it fell back into its normal rhythm. Once she was sure that he wouldn't cause any unwanted noise, Luan removed her hand.

"...okay, what is it this time? Another favor?" Lincoln grumbled. A hesitant smile popped onto the older girl's face. "...you're the one that did it aren'-"

"I'm the one that did it!" she cried. Lincoln's unsurprised eyes went to his head. "Look, I really REALLY need your help! I don't want to die!"

"And...how's this my problem?" he shrugged.

"...um...b-because...uh...mmm...oh you...you are part of the reason the robot's doing this," Luan eventually managed to form an answer. At this Lincoln gave her a confused look. "...you remember how I uh...had you try to get onto Lisa's computer yesterday?..."

"Yeah...you had me...try some Fish Brawler codes...and the robot runs on a Fish Brawler car-...that was to activate the robot wasn't it?" Lincoln deduced with an irritated grimace. All he got in return was another falty smile. "And then you probably went in, asked it to do something for you, and worked around when we would be at school and home and stuff."

"Wow you are good," Luan complimented, "Honestly it would've gone smoother but Lori went to get you for help after I pushed the steering wheel a bit yesterday before we got home. I was figuring she'd just get Lisa and that'd get her out of the way, but no, she decided instead to have you distract dad while she took Lana. But hey, we...made it...work..." Luan's explanation dribbled to a stop spotting Lincoln's ever deepening gape.

"...you...YOU...are the reason ANY of that happened yesterday?" he almost yelled. Luan bit her lip. She was just thankful he was respecting the hushed privacy she had tried to organize for them. "Because of this?"

"Hey-hey-hey! I-I d-didn't know Lisa's bot would go haywire! I just wanted to test it out to see how well it'd do for the next April Fools day! It wasn't supposed to go around just wrecking shit!" she tried to retort. Lincoln's annoyance though was beginning to bubble over, and his alleged involvement in the conspiracy only furthered the unexpected anger. For a few seconds he just stood there in a light seethe, but eventually it began to boil down. A few inhales through his nose calmed his nerves enough to return to a more reserved face, though it still hung with filtrations of annoyance.

"...so...w-whatcha...say?" Luan tried to chuckle. Lincoln was not phased by the upbeat voice. "...h-help a sister out?..."

"...how?" he asked, a bit more happily than he thought he would reply, "They all already think it's you. What exactly's gonna change their minds?"

"Gyuh! Uh! I-I-...I don't know! Just...SOMETHING!" she cried throwing herself at his feet, "You heard how Lola was talking! I want to keep my organs in my body!" Lincoln couldn't help diminish the grin that was forming on his face. He couldn't recall the last time he'd seen Luan this desperate towards anybody. And what was better? He knew of nothing he could do to help.

"If I think of something I'll let ya know," he told her reaching for the door, "but if I were you, I'd secure my stuff and just be ready for the worst." Luan watched helplessly as the white-haired boy slipped back into the hallway and started towards his room.

* * *

Lucy lifted her hand to the webs strung above her bed allowing the spider that had been crawling across it to evacuate onto its normal dwelling. Seeing the proper number in their places she gave a quick smile and sunk back down onto her bed below. Her books had been right as she'd left them and even her poster of her favorite vampire had, rather surprisingly, remained undisturbed. Fluttering a few images of his likeness through her head, Lucy delicately ran her fingers across Edwin's image. She had to admit she was surprised. Everything seemed to be as it normally was. Her crystal ball remained unshattered, her tarot cards were accounted for, and the various pictures of those whose souls she attempted to commune with lay before her on the bed, their visages untouched. She lifted one up to inspect it more thoroughly.

"Woah, what's with the getup?" she heard a male voice ask.

"For if we run into that bot while hunting down Luan," her roommate declared displaying her cobbled-together body-armor from her sports equipment to their guest, "or to scare Luan. Whichever comes first."

"Wait...Luan? We haven't figured out who exactly-"

"Oh come on Lincoln we all know it was her! If you aren't prepared just dig around in our closet. I got lots of spare gear! Hurry up though you two! Ya don't wanna miss out on the hunt! Aiyaiyaiyaiyaiiii!" Before Lincoln could get another word out Lynn shot out the door, hockey-stick in hand and her battle-cry echoing through the hall. Shaking his head, he spotted Lucy and joined her at the bed.

"Well, doesn't that look familiar?" he chuckled noticing the picture that she was looking over.

"It's Great Grandma Harriet," Lucy told him.

"Really?...ya know she looks just like a cute little goth I know," he told her. Lucy was thankful that her back was to him with what face the comment gave her. Taking the silence as disapproval rather than embarrassed appreciation, Lincoln tilted his head forward. Lucy could feel the skin of her arms crawl as she felt his arms wrap around her midsection from behind. "...sorry about the whole...Lily...bickering earlier..." he murmured, "...you do have some interesting faces in these pictures." Placing her own arms along his, Lucy leaned back into him.

"Lincoln...that's not...it's fine. Your comics probably aren't that bad either..." she told him. The two smiled in relieved silence. They just sat there for a few seconds, arm on arm. Lincoln felt his hair stand up a bit when he felt something brush across his ones. For some reason Lucy began to rub them. It was slow, maybe even unintentional at first, but the brushes swept in their methodical rhythm adding to the calmness of the scene. Lucy leaned back further against him. It had been like their "demonstration" to Lynn a day prior, but now she had a full body to support her weight. And she'd have been lying if she said it didn't feel somewhat nice. A warm object to cradle her colder demeanor. She could feel even that mask of emptiness lift when she felt Lincoln's cheek brush against her hair.

"Sigh..." she said in relaxation. Her body was almost contemplating falling asleep where she lay. "Guess this is another day down the drain..."

"Quite. Such a miserable line of events to transpire within our schedule," Lincoln agreed dulling his voice towards a more monotone level. Lucy looked up at him and smiled.

"Seems to be paying off though..." she said receiving a cocky smile from the older boy's face, "descriptive AND lifeless. You're getting it down."

"I got my talents," Lincoln told her smugly, "that's probably why Lily liked her time with me more."

"You wish," Lucy grinned. She struggled a bit in bemusement as Lincoln nuzzled his face playfully into her hair. The two wrestled about for a moment leaving the black hair rather ruffled once they'd settled back into more leisurely positions. In the back of his head Lincoln could have sworn he'd heard some whirring noises, but only faintly. Whatever suspicions he might have had were overridden when the pair looked towards the door and saw a brown-haired older sister rush by followed soon after by a crowd of other angry siblings. The footsteps were like a train as they clambered down the steps and continued their chase through the lower levels of the house. Lincoln couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for Luan.

"I do not envy her right now," Lucy commented. Reluctantly she parted from her snug resting-spot and hopped to her feet. She'd just remembered one last thing. Her coffin. She felt relief upon pulling it out from beneath the bed. There wasn't a scratch on it. "Sigh, all is in order. The finish is clean, the chipping aged, and the inner lining-" Lucy's admiration for the untouched body-box came to a halt upon lifting the lid. Staring back at her was her beloved bust of her vampire love, but not as she had left it. Instead of looking soulessly at her, Edwin's face had been twisted and warped by unnatural colors. White paint now coated the face with the hair having been redone in a bright shade of green. His eyes, normally darkened with embedded eye-shadow, now possessed red rings around them that stretched to the brow accompanying the rosy cheeks he'd been given and the reddened wax lips that'd been stretched into a smile by pins. Lastly, next to the bust, sat pieces of the pointed ears that had been broken off in, what could only be assumed to be, an attempt to make him look more "normal" in structure.

Lincoln scooted back a bit on the bed as Lucy lifted the made-over vampire from his "bed" to view the craftsmanship. It may have only been a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity that the young girl looked at the atrocity. Not saying a word, she placed Edwin back in the coffin and bent down to reach under her bed. After some rummaging she pulled out a long shovel. With a "thwack" the metal spade at the end landed in her free hand.

"Yes...I do not AT ALL envy her right now..." she said just as emotionlessly as ever, though the air around the words marked a more sinister intent. Lincoln's eyes widened as she ran out the door and he hopped into his own run to chase after her. He was beginning to feel pretty concerned for the comedian's safety. Before he made it past the door-frame however he jerked to a stop and spun around. It'd been there again. That...noise... The whirr-chink-clnk. Lincoln's aggravated eyes peered from one side of the room to the other. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. Lucy's coffin just sat there in the middle with her and Lynn's beds on either side of it with Lynn's equipment scattered around the floor. Two dressers sat at either end of her bed. He would have spared more of an investigation had he not more pressing matters. He stopped once more at the steps however. In his trek to it the sounds had started back up. And become more frequent.

Viciously he whipped his head around. There was nothing in the hall. Just doors lining the walls and the attic ladder partially exposed. Looking towards his room he spotted Lily who seemed to be looking for the same thing. He was glad he wasn't the only one on edge. Just as he was about to give up and walk down the stairs he noticed the baby waving her arms. He waved back but there something more...frantic about her motions than normal.

"Goo Goo! GOO GOO!" she cried. Lincoln's eyes popped and he jumped to the side just in time to avoid the object that wheeled past him from behind. He watched partially confused as the dresser that had been at the foot of Lynn's bed whirled back around and tried to run him down again, an action that he sidestepped. Thinking back on it, that was a bit odd. He hadn't ever noticed the dresser in there before. Apparently fed up with its failed attempts, the piece of furniture came to a stop and Lincoln and Lily's eyes widened as it unfolded and restructured itself back into the more humanoid-looking form of Lisa's Assistant-Bot.

"...oh come on! You can transform?!" he yelled. He didn't have time to vent however. Within moments tentacles popped out from its shoulder pieces and began whipping at him. Desperately he twisted and somersaulted to avoid the lashes. "What the fuck are you doing?! WHY ARE YOU ATTACKING ME?!" he hollered. Perhaps it was due to someone being on their lonesome. He hadn't seen it in all the time that he'd been with anyone else. It was unfortunate that everyone else was now preoccupied with their witch hunt. He could have really used some support against the assault. Lincoln felt his eyes bulge out of his head as one of the tentacles struck him in the stomach and sent him hurtling towards the bathroom. Everything he looked at doubled as his eyes swirled around in his wobbling head. Blinking a few times he straightened them back out and returned his attention to the robot. The thing was sparking and jittering now that it was in a more idle state. He could see its screen flipping between various different images. The main one seemed to be one of Luan laughing, but others such as Izzy or the boy from the Goth Mic Night flashed by every so often. And in the corner of the screen he spotted a rather sizeable crack running across it. The spot Lily had hit it with her rattle.

"...it's...malfunctioning..." he realized. Having heard him, the machine sped in his direction. Not wanting another whip, Lincoln hopped up and somersaulted over the tentacle it flung in his direction after-which he bounced back to his feet and spun around. The robot didn't seem to know where he'd gone. In its search for its prey Lincoln realized something. The motions it was performing. Its attacks. He recognized their movements. Thinking about how the fight might be playing out from a side-view it became pretty clear to him what it was mimicking.

"...Fish Brawler..." he muttered. Detecting his voice once more it whirled around to face him, the face of Luan robotically laughing on its screen. But he was ready. At least he hoped so. His eyes followed the tentacles and tried to ignore the machine's advancement towards him. To the upper left he saw one descending and he hopped to the side letting it crash to the ground where he'd been. "So that's what you're going with," he grinned. Though unsure as to if he should follow his instincts, he bent backwards to avoid the predicted horizontal swipe of the next one and sent his fist sailing into its screen, an action that bent his face into an unpleasant shape. He'd forgotten that the thing was made of metal. The machine though had certainly felt it. Flickering a few images of Bobby, Leni's hairbrush, and Clyde, the Assistant-Bot wrapped one of the tentacles around Lincoln's body and lifted him into the air.

"Oh no, please not this one!" he yelped. The even more damaged screen, though flickering more violently now, brought up the image of Luan once more.

"Ha ha. Ha ha. Ha ha. HA HA. HA HA! HA HA! H-H-HAHAHAHA-HAHA-HA!" it sputtered chaotically. Lincoln gulped and clenched his teeth to brace for the impact of one of the other tentacles that it pulled back. The metal felt like a truck slamming into his face. He could almost feel his brain hit the sides of his skull from the "punch". But it wasn't over. Another "punch" collided with his, now less prepared, cheek. He could feel his breath become more ragged and felt a warmness drip down his chin. Trying his hardest he attempted to worm his way out of the hold, but it wasn't enough to avoid the final collision. He didn't even bother to escape after that. Limply his body was flung through the air and left to topple across the ground. At least one thing had been confirmed. The attacks were definitely running off of the Fish Brawler engine.

Wobbling to his feet, Lincoln balled his hands into fists and wiped away the blood dripping from his lower lip. The robot was approaching. And fast. If he didn't stop the thing he wasn't sure if he'd even be able to survive another "Grab Attack". But he had an idea. Thinking back to when Lisa had first introduced the machine to them he believed he might have spotted a weak point. Only confrontation would confirm that however, and he prayed he was right. Noticing a low-swiping tentacle, he leaped over it and made a punch to the body. It wasn't enough, but he did see the panel on the front vibrate. Furrowing his brows he made another punch, this time at the panel itself denting it. That only left him with a fraction of a second to avoid the next tentacle that would swipe down at him, but he did. Just barely. He felt the metal brush the hairs of his head. With one last thrust of his fist the metal casing broke off of the chamber on the body revealing the video game cartridge within. He was about to pull it out when all of a sudden one last tentacle wrapped around his body and began pulling him upwards.

"No-NO!" he cried. Desperately he squirmed, but the robot held fast. He could feel his heart sink as he spotted the psychotic grin of his brown-haired sister peering down at him from the screen. With one last act of audacity Lincoln squeezed his feet into the open hole and wriggled them around as best he could. After a few pained jabs he felt something hard jutting into the air of the chamber, clamped his feet around it, and pulled. Luan's face went wide-eyed with shock and the screen blackened. Feeling the tentacles loosening, Lincoln yanked his feet back out of the body, hopped out of the hold, and glared up at the deactivated robot as the video game hit the floor behind him.

"AHHHHH!" he screamed. Leaping up farther than he thought he could, Lincoln wound back his leg and sent his foot smashing into the side of the monitor that made up the robot's "face". With multiple "clangs" and "clunks" it ricocheted off the body, hit the walls of the hallway, and bounced to a stop on the floor, smoke billowing from its ruined structure. Panting, breaths drew ragged from the boy's battered body. All he saw for a few moments was red. Pure unadulterated rage and adrenaline, but as his body's rising and falling lessened, so did his excitement. With a few final huffs, he straightened his back and closed his eyes. He could feel the tension evaporating. Lincoln rubbed the space between his eyes and walked over to the monitor. He could feel its still warm internal workings as he tucked it under his arm and made his way to the staircase to descend it. Even after he'd left Lily stood gaping into the hall from his doorway.

* * *

Luan trembled. Every inch of her body was rocking with fear and terror. Through the slits of the front of her parent's closet she make out the shapes of her siblings. Each one of them brandishing some form of weapon or armor. She'd given them quite a good run around the premise. From the upper floors all the way to the basement, even a few laps through Mr. Grouse's yard. She'd even attempted to stow away inside the old man's house before being promptly kicked right back out into the presence of her collected siblings. Round and round they'd gone, leaping through bushes and over tables, all the while she tried to deny the claims they yelled amongst their profanities. And it all led to this. Cornered within the closet of their parents' bedroom, just waiting to be torn limb from limb. Was this the way she'd expected to go out?...

...yeah, probably.

She shielded her eyes as the doors swung open allowing the light of the room beyond to pour in and braced herself as her sisters lifted the objects they were carrying. But the bloodshed never came. Instead the entire group, Luan included looked towards the entrance of the room as a flat object was chucked to the ground behind them. A sparking monitor. The collection of kids stared in shock at Lincoln's heavy-breathing form, his clothes torn and face messy.

"...is that..." Lola said slowly as she approached the ruined piece of equipment.

"...that Assistant-Bot thingy?..." Lana finished.

"Wow, it got small!" Leni exclaimed. Her kin were too in awe to pay much mind to her observation.

"...my...god. Lincoln, you didn't...you...you..." Lisa stuttered picking the monitor up in her hands to examine it. She rattled it around a few times to see if she would get any response. Getting none she lowered it to look her brother over once more. He'd definitely been through the ringer to acquire her machine's head. "...well...whatever you did was clearly idiotic, but...you're alive," she said trying to lighten the mood.

"You're welcome," he grumbled, "the rest of it's upstairs in the hall..."

"Well, I think this deserves a bit more retribution now," Luna said turning everyone's attention back to Luan, her huddled form putting her hands in front of her face. Given Lincoln's state any help she might have gotten in her time of need had clearly been thrown out the window. At least...that's how she saw it. Lincoln on the other hand saw a girl scared to death. And he hated that he saw that. If he hadn't walked down the stairs, if he hadn't seen her run by Lynn and Lucy's room, if he hadn't been pulled into the bathroom and asked for help...he might have seen something different. But as it were, what he was looking at was something that he wish he hadn't grown sympathy towards.

"Stop," he said. His sisters obeyed, more out of surprise and the tone of his voice than anything else. One by one they turned back to him and gave him confused expressions. Even Luan had to question what he was halting the village-flogging for. "...I did it." Luan's mouth dropped while the others looked at each other and then back at Lincoln.

"...you did...what?" Luna asked refusing to believe what her ears thought Lincoln must be implying.

"...I...asked the Assistant-Bot to prank everyone," Lincoln sighed. The sisters all looked at him in silence. One even dropped their weapon in shock. "I...I...ugh, I was testing the Assistant-Bot out for Funny Business Inc. to see how it might perform for pranks and stuff...I didn't...expect for all of this to happen..." Some of the sisters exchanged unsure glances while others fumed with rage and others gave faces that were hard to even tell the emotions of. Suspicion and uncertainty wrapped around the group from the claims, but it was enough to focus the anger elsewhere. With a grunt Lincoln bent forward as Lola's fist slammed into his stomach.

"You..." she growled peering into his eyes, "YOU!" Lincoln clenched his eyes shut but fortunately her twin grabbed her and held her tantrum back. Though a few kicks connected, they hardly inflicted much damage with the distance given. Lana just gave Lincoln a contemptuous glower as she pulled her look-a-like from the room. "You-you-you are going to pay for this!" he could hear Lola screaming. Lynn was the next to depart being sure to leave an imprint of her fist in his shoulder as she did so. Then Luna, who gave him a very...unsure glance.

"I guess it was the son," Leni scoffed as she passed before promptly slamming face-first into the wall next to the door. Lori stopped next to him on her way to the exit.

"...you know you're not gonna hear the end of this right?" she muttered. Lincoln looked to the side sparing him the glance she gave Luan before returning it to him. Shaking her head, Lori grabbed Leni by the shoulders and walked her out. Lisa seemed more interested in her creation's monitor than anything else, but even she gave a reaction to him. In the time that the others inflicted their disapprovals on him she had been trying to place the puzzle-pieces together in her head and things just weren't lining up correctly with the evidence presented.

"So...YOU were the one to get the Assistant-Bot 2600 to do all of this?..." she questioned. Though questioning whether he should do so to such an astute mind, Lincoln slowly nodded his head. Lifting a brow, Lisa departed. That left just Lucy. The distance between them was as vast as the falling trust and companionship that had been building over the last few days. She just stared at him, a stare that, though he couldn't see the eyes of, bled into his heart and started hollowing it. The emotions he felt as she walked past him were sickening. Had he not been in the presence of anyone else he might have thrown up.

For Lucy the sense of betrayal and dishonesty, though infuriating, felt empty. In the face of all their time together, had it truly all been a distraction for some simple prankings? It should have absolutely crushed her. But...it didn't. It... made no sense. Not from Lincoln of all the siblings. No, the claim felt absolutely empty given the experiences they'd been having together. Distract her and the others to eviscerate their livelyhoods with some machine? Sacrifice their plans together for it? It was these thoughts that stopped her as she reached the door.

"W-...w-...why did you...Why?..." Luan tried to ask in sheer disbelief once Lincoln had made it to her. Sternly he held out a hand to her.

"...you okay?.." he asked. Regret washing over her, Luan's brows bent into a pained wince. Shamefully she took the hand and was pulled to her feet where she pulled him into a tight hug. Though he was getting used to the placement of his face, Lincoln still felt the need to try to pull away from the...softer chest she possessed. "Shhh shhh, it's the least you deserve," she cooed patting his head uncomfortably deeper against it, "besides, it's the most you'll probably get for a few more years." Rolling his eyes Lincoln just accepted his fate and resigned himself to return the hug. After all, it probably was the last embrace he'd be getting for a while. At least, that's what he thought. They gave each other understanding smiles as they parted, but those dropped rather quickly once they noticed that they were not alone. The last sister to make her way towards the door hadn't departed entirely. She was still at the door's frame. And she was looking right at them.

"...sighhhh..." Lucy said before finally exiting. Luan winced again, this time from a reignited fear.

"Relax I...I don't think it's...you she's..."sighing" about..." Lincoln told her as his eyelids drooped.

* * *

With a surprising amount of frustration Lynn Jr. pushed as hard as she could on her shoulder-pads and baseball bat. It probably didn't require such energy, but she had the anger to burn. He'd been right there. He'd been sitting with them the whole time while they chided at Luan, his face not giving a hint of indication towards his incrimination. If nothing else he had quite the poker face. But for that guise he had sacrificed any trust and admiration the family might have had for him. It wasn't like it was the first time that he'd pulled something like this, but it still hurt all the same. The anger flowed through her like a tidal wave. Behind her Lucy sat on her bed staring at her statue of her vampire character, his wax-lips having been readjusted back to their normal shape and the ears glued back into place. Lynn felt the fuming only increase as she watched her younger sister.

She could understand some of the others. But why HER? She thought he liked Lucy more than others in the family. But there she sat, a victim of his dedication to Luan's stupid "business". Gritting her teeth Lynn gave another thrust but a noise interrupted the concentration causing the items she'd packed into the closet to burst out and bury her. Coughing she dug her way out of it and yelled. Angrily she stomped over to the door and cracked it open. What she saw on the other side fanned the flames of her spite to a blinding level. Standing there was the boy that'd knocked on the door, a cautious look on his face.

"Beat it," Lynn spat and started to close the door but it jerked to a stop. Lincoln had shoved his foot into the space between it and the frame.

"Can I talk to Lucy?" he asked.

"No," she said and brought the door back before slamming it. All at once Lincoln saw stars in his vision and he fell to the ground with a yelp. Smirking, Lynn started to shut the door now that the obstruction had been removed but it stopped again, this time from interference on her side of it.

"If you won't let him in then I'll be back in a little bit," Lucy told her clasping the edge of the almost-closed door in her hand. Lynn gave her a baffled look.

"W-what? Why?" she asked. Not giving a response, Lucy slipped through the crack, helped Lincoln back to his feet, and supported him as he limped to his room. Lynn wasn't sure, but she felt like Lucy gave her a rather...unfavorable look as she shut the door to their brother's room. Once inside, Lincoln collapsed to his bed and pulled off his shoe and sock to nurse his reddened foot. He sucked in a few hisses of air as he massaged it. Looking to the side he saw Lucy standing at his desk, her head downcast and a wider frown than normal hanging on her face.

"...Lucy, look, I'm-"

"Why?" she cut him off. Lincoln's lips pursed.

"...why what-"

"Why? Why do you do that?" she asked walking over to him. Not sure whether to be afraid or not he leaned further back on his bed. "The covering up for others. How many times have you done that? How many times that each of us don't know about have you do that for others in this household? And each time, all the discontent endured? Why?" Lincoln's brows bent in disdain towards the reminder of the ridicule that the various acts evoked. Her comics, Lola's reading...such instances diverting the blame to him, even if just for a portion in some instances.

"It's...the right thing to do..." he muttered. Annoyed by the answer, Lucy knelt onto his bed and held his exposed foot delicately in her hand.

"Is THIS right?" she asked squeezing it eliciting a hiss from him. As her hand loosened his gaze fell back towards his sheets. "Why do you let us do this to you?..." she asked rubbing her own arm. Lincoln's eyelids dropped with how far his eyebrows had descended.

"Hey it's...fine...I'm used to it..." he reminded her.

"...that doesn't mean you should be..." he heard her say quietly. He was surprised to see a rather distraught face when he looked to her. Lincoln's startled arms lifted as the black-haired girl slid in underneath them and wrapped her arms around his torso, her face digging into his chest. "I care about you..." she told him. Letting his face bend into a more worn lour himself, he folded his own arms around her neck and buried his face in her hair.

"...I care about you...too..." he replied. The dimness that his desk-lamp did its best to comfort the two as they laid with each other.

-end of chapter-

Phew. Now THAT was a long one. But, if that's what it takes, that's how some'll be. I do question continuing this sometimes with how much other stuff I do, but I'm still in the game for now at least. As is Luan. She got pretty close to a more finite fate this chapter though. That girl really does ask for it sometimes. Luckily for all of them, Lincoln's there. Well...for the family at least. He himself goes through a lot of shit from the others so it's probably not as fun for him. But that's how it goes.

And hey! We've just gotten done with the first major "arc" of the story. Well...unless you count the whole "Lucy asking Lincoln" thing as an arc. But all the buildup with the Assistant-Bot and Luan and stuff that last few chapters has been for this. I know Luan probably got away with much less than she deserved, but at least she feels bad about it. Whether that means anything as it continues though you'll have to wait and see. Until then I'll see you guys later.


	7. The Great Dodgeball Chase

Chapter 7: The Great Dodgeball Chase

The lengthy vehicle rattled along in the early morning air brushing up dew in its tracks. For its size it was surprisingly swift, likely due to the decades of use combined with the amount of occupants it generally carried. As with most days it had been packed to bursting with the unusually large family that owned it. Squished into the front seats were the eldest with the rock-star and athlete behind them, the twins and comedian behind them, and finally at the very back the outcasts, the only boy member of the group back there by a rather unspoken decision. Lincoln could almost feel the daggers that most of their looks had given him throughout the morning. Most of them. Some had been less vicious than others, but the majority certainly did not seem to hold him in high regard for the time being.

Lola in particular had been rather intent on making sure he received her visuals. The glares. The fork she slammed into the table while looking at him. The grins. It'd been enough to send shivers down his spine a few times. Likewise Lana had been pretty supportive of the motions only doubling the tension, though not giving nearly as much enthusiasm towards the actions herself. The twins had easily been the most threatening, but Lynn loved to compete and these antagonistic tendencies had been no exception. She made sure to bump as into Lincoln as roughly as possible whenever she got the chance to pass him, even having no problem with slamming his face into a bowl of cereal that he'd been eating. It was like pretty much everyday with her, except multiplied by ten. The others had ranged from the shared sneering look to the rare disinterest.

"I still can't believe that YOU were the one to deface my story!" their mom said loud enough for her voice to reach the back of the van, "You added in an ENTIRE CHAPTER that completely ruins the ending!"

"Actually it was Lisa's robot-guy," Leni corrected.

"That Stinkin reprogrammed," Lynn reminded.

"Regardless! That plotline did not fit AT ALL!" Rita exclaimed, "Not to mention how it recolored some of your dad's ties!...not that...that's...THAT bad...but still!" All Lincoln could do was try to sink back further into his seat while the others reigned into him.

"Oh that's nothing! He liked ruined my combs!" Leni added.

"Guitar picks are all over the room now," Luna murmured, mostly to herself.

"Broke my tennis-racket, recolored my favorite baseball, stuffed my knee-pads with cheese-" Lynn rattled off.

"Yeah Lincoln, how dairy you!" Luan chimed in popping up over her seat to laugh at him. She made sure to flash him a sympathetic smile, but his annoyed glower was more than enough to keep her from saying much else. Spotting his seat-mate's direct scowl, Luan's throat clenched and she slid back down into her seat. Unbeknownst to any of the three, another sister was peering towards the now-hesitant comedian, her guitar-chords plucking slowly under her fingers. The more she played with the instrument the more critical her gaze became. The moment she noticed Luan's head move though, Luna dropped her's to her guitar.

Even though the vehicle mostly filled with voices, the more intense interactions came from the unspoken ones. The looks that siblings gave each other, mostly towards Lincoln. Most of them he could avoid for the most part, but two in particular were sure to make their presence known throughout the day. The twins had certainly not been secretive in their suspicious conversation during the car-trip, and the dealings they spoke were only punctuated by a toothy grin from Lola once she'd noticed that Lincoln had been watching. The lethal face made his skin crawl. He almost contemplated trying to hide under the seat in an attempt to secretly stay on the vehicle after they arrived at their destination. But he knew it likely wouldn't work.

Feeling pressure on his hand he looked down at it and then at the arm connected to the hand that was in his. Though she made no different expression than normal, he was happy to have the slightly shorter black-haired Loud at his side. If no one else, aside from the hardly-helping Luan, Lucy at least understood his position.

"Sigh...what I wouldn't give for a grave right now..." he said trying to keep his voice down, though that likely wasn't necessary with how much of a commotion the group was producing amongst itself. It was enough for the intended listener to hear however, and as a response Lucy's hand squeezed his again while a smile flashed across her mouth.

"Well if you ever need one..." she murmured, "though I think a few others in this transport could use one more than you at the moment..." Despite the grimness of the statement that did help brighten the spirit a bit and Lincoln gave his own squeeze igniting Lucy's face lightly.

* * *

The wee hours of the morning were always the least busy. This was true for almost all businesses, but in the industry that convenience-stores thrived within, those that chose to stay open on an eternal schedule were able to bare witness to just the variety of people that inhabited the world and their individual odd schedules. Even those not holding the most...admirable of reputations. And few could make the claim to such shadiness as the one that most of Royal Woods seemed to rely on in some fashion or another, be it through legal business or more...hushed dealings. Even down to the way the everyday shop that the public got a face-value look of was run was had its iffiness. Most would view turning the roller grills for the hot dogs up to its limit as a safety hazard or at the least discouraged the customers from heightening the temperature. For Flip it was just good business. More frequently ready products meant faster pleased customers which in turn meant their money could be absorbed more quickly. Everyone won.

Sure the occasional choirboy might point out the sodas in the wrong slots or the opened bags of chips on the racks, but it was a small price to pay for the "efficiency" that Flip operated with. Why he was doing the community a service with his 24-hour all-the-time policy, except when he needed to do some fishing or get his tooth checked on of course, the latter of which he could usually manage himself. If anything the customers should be thankful for his admirable intent of providing them with his impossible time-clock on which he served them. Sure corners were cut here and there with the rare fifty bottles of expired milk, but he more than made up for it with his need to "help" others he felt. And if there was nothing they wanted to buy there were always the more...controversial businesses his..."affiliates" provided.

A quick "jingle" from the bell of the door shot the man to his feet from where he'd been lounging behind the register, his eyes searching for the potential source of currency.

"Welcome to Flip's! Home of da Flippee!" he exclaimed. His voice beckoned the child to poke their head out from behind the rows of candy they'd only just started to travel down. A girl with curly brown hair that looked to be nearing her teenage years wearing a darkish blue skirt. Cristina he believed her name was. There wasn't a face in Royal Woods that the convenience-store owner didn't recognize. She'd probably just mosey around the racks as per usual before deciding on some cookies. Having nothing else to do the gray-haired man watched the smaller figure bob through the shelves until she stumbled upon the predicted snack which she brought to the counter. Even had it been a more active day there likely wouldn't have been too much of a line to compete with with how early it was, especially considering a large portion of the customers were currently at school. Flip's mind clicked the words together in his head as the cookies were rung up. Curiously he eyed the girl.

"Shouldn't you be in class?..." he murmured. Cristina's eyes darted to the side hesitantly. "Y...yeah...you're from Lincoln's grade aren't ya?" He could see the sweat popping up along the rim of her head.

"U-uh-I...I'm...uh" the girl stammered. Not able to think of a proper response under the adult's gaze she worked up a coughing fit into her arm and sagged her cheeks. "I just needed...these c-c-cookies to h-help me feel-"

"Oh puhlease," Flip rolled his eyes as he handed the snacks over, "If you're gonna pull that at least make it line up a TINY bit with how you were before. Look, you gotta lead in with a good drooping of the eyes and maybe a throat-rub beforehand. Like this!" Cristina took a step back as the man displayed a rather unkempt expression for her. Roughly he gripped the base of his neck and ran his hand along it. The girl questioned the validity of the advice, but if nothing else it was at least keeping him preoccupied. Tossing the money to the counter she darted out the door. By the time Flip had ended his dramatization he was somewhat surprised to find the store empty but smiled in delight at the dollars in front of him, a mound of change that he happily pocketed.

"Flip," he said to himself patting his chest with his fist, "you are a good good man."

* * *

Tick tock tick tock. Those were the sounds that repeated over and over throughout the young poet's head as she viewed the clock above the classroom door. Not that the device made that noise, her head just filled in the lack of sound out of habit, its recesses drawing upon the endless viewings of horror movies that she possessed. It made the object feel whole and complete, a notion that had been lost on the current generation. The flair for finality and completion of finalization of each of life's motions. Now all they cared for was the continued starting of motion after motion after motion, hopping from one popularized instance to the next, not even bothering to expel appreciation for even the simplest of acts. It was a mentality that drifted Lucy ever further from her peers' vapid society that hey were born into and added to the ruination of.

"Sigh," she murmured to herself, her attention not even focused on whatever the teacher was currently babbling on about. From her seat it's not like she needed to feign any interest given how far back she was. Instead she'd taken to the pen. But she did not act in her usual method of expression. Instead of words her digits had decided upon pictures. It was true that she wasn't exactly the greatest artist in the world, but she did have enough of Elementary School training to be able to form basic shapes if nothing else. Besides, she'd made an entire comic strip before, though this endeavor was obviously nowhere near the caliber of such an undertaking. It was just a simple doodle that she had absent-mindedly preoccupied herself with. A few basic strokes of the writing utensil.

As the ink laid down against the paper her mind continued to work, the end-result of the efforts not even decided yet. The image started to become more defined as thoughts ventured on, her distaste for the vanity of the latest century pulling her back towards more simple times in history, and more emotional ones. Concepts of fulfillment and loss that were nearly non-existent by her time. The collections of quaint towns across European fields, brave do-gooders charging forth to combat the darkness of the land. A darkness that they did not understand. And that darkness itself, the mysterious unknowns of the world that lurked in the shadows. That still lurked, but that were given no heed by the younger eye. A darkness that she dwelled within everyday and that she sought the company of from what ere souls still hid within it across the modernized lands.

The shapes of the form had now been conceived. A nice round head that sat atop a boy's body. Still enraptured in the dimness of her mind, Lucy began making thick black lines around where the eyes would sit. Out of all the mummies, revived corpses, and cackling scientists she had enjoyed the tales of, it'd always been vampires that had captivated her sheer lust, their very forms the embodiment of the darkness of the forbidden. A bite of eternity upon the damned planet on which they lived, their lives forfeit for the loneliness of the forever as all they knew and cared for wasted away and moved on to the next life, their own selves left in the hollowness of isolation. That isolation of which she knew all too well. It was likely these feelings that deepened the eyeliner around the sockets of her work and bestowed upon its face a frown, the poetic boy she was after growing in detail. The companion that she sought in her seclusion.

It's not that she didn't enjoy company. Far from it. It was just something that she had had to endure in the absentness of her family's acknowledgment. An absentness that drove one to more empty pursuits and reflection. The boredom of life that one distracted themselves from, the tolerance of those that had not taken a moment to even begin to think of what their presence means, the finality of it all. In these inquires it was an impossibility not to lose one's self to the darker side of reality, and it was that lifestyle that only drove the divide further between herself and others. Most others at least. On the rare occasion she did stumble across those more versed in the bleakness of it all. Those of whom dealt in the forbidden as well, they themselves cast out in their own regard. Those often mistaken for tricker-treaters year-round.

Due to the whiteness of the paper she wouldn't have to worry about the color looking wrong or anything when entranced in such a simple color scheme. The boy's light hair would be perfect without any editing to the hue. To complete the image she'd been decorating the body in a garb fit for Edwin himself, a compliment she would probably keep from her bust's ears. Surely nobody else in the family would fancy such fashion choices, least of all Leni, but for her it was some of the most appealing attire she could fathom. Well...maybe one other might enjoy it. Lincoln had been known to be pretty adventurous at times. One couldn't forget the incident where he attempted to stay "interesting" with how he changed his looks and routines every day during those few weeks, and while Lucy was sure nearly all of his outfits had appealed to at least one person on each day, a few had surprisingly even caught her unseen eyes. It'd at least been a cute display for his audience.

She just hoped that at some point his eager nature would have carried over into the material he entertained himself with. Lucy knew that some of the games that he played were things that kids his age shouldn't, and for that she had some degree of respect for him in the field of entertainment. But sadly that did not seem to transfer into the movies that he watched. While he could get behind whatever throwaway incarnation of Muscle Fish they plastered on the screen he never seemed to be able to make it through a viewing of even some of the tamer horror flicks, and that was to say nothing of actual Halloween frights. Not that she hadn't tried to get him to overcome the minuscule fears, nor to say that she didn't enjoy the way he trembled. Lucy definitely welcomed the flattery of her attempts. She just wished somewhere in the depths of her thoughts that maybe...maybe she might have someone that would be able to join her on more of her excursions, or at least understandings.

Lincoln was the only other one in the family to believe in ghosts and he did probably recognize her way of thinking the most, but...she...she wanted such an association to grow, not come to a halt. For what it was worth though, it did seem to be advancing, even if by a more forceful agreement than she had thought would transpire. He had, in spite of whatever misgivings he might have had, agreed to go along with her attempts to woo the boy she was drawing and had taken to the agenda rather seriously once he'd been reminded about it. Perhaps he was progressing...or perhaps he was just as he always was. It was hard to tell with him. On the times where he persevered it was a blurred line as to whether he'd actually overcome a block in his improvements or if he just simply had such depths lurking within himself constantly.

It probably didn't matter much though, she found his feats cherishing either way. Even if the haunted house he and Clyde had competed against those bullies in had been beneath her standards, she'd been proud to hear of their victory. And she'd been just as astounded as the others once she realized what he must have done the day before to get the head of Lisa's Assistant-Bot. She'd been sure to give the thing's deactivated body a few marks of her own afterwards, though she'd not been the first from the state that the thing looked to be in by the time she'd arrived. With Lincoln it seemed things always turned out manageable in some way or another. That was probably the reason she wasn't fretting as much as she might have been otherwise with their goal only one day away.

Lucy tilted her head towards the ceiling, the words of her teacher droning on in the background. Looking back she couldn't believe how fast the week had seemingly flown by. It felt like only yesterday that she'd been negotiating her deal with her brother and then the days just came and went through the chaos they brought. All in all it'd been a typical week for the family, but with the added item of "boyfriend-training" behind the scenes. If it could even be called that. It almost felt like they were just little check-ins with how frequently they'd been interrupted. And yet...Lincoln had been proving his reliability even with the shrunken time-frame. And she? Lucy? Was she even ready herself? In contemplation she looked back down at her drawing. After a few seconds she reworked the hair, dotted on some freckles, and drew a chipped tooth protruding from the mouth. She smiled down at the Gothic-attired piece of her brother.

With him she knew she'd be fine.

* * *

Anxiousness rattling his mind, Lincoln whipped his head around. There was nothing. Nothing except rows and rows of children, some his age, others lower. But none of them held the faces of those he was looking for, and for that he was thankful. It wasn't that there would be much that could be done within the confines of the educational building, but the interactions with those he had been attempting to avoid only seemed to worsen with each meeting. To his fortune however he hadn't seen tiara or hat of the two younger siblings. Lana he may have been able to make do with, but her doppelganger would've been another matter with the looks she'd been giving him throughout the morning.

"Buddy? You okay?" Clyde asked noticing his friend's frantic behavior.

"WHA-uh-YEAH!" Lincoln exclaimed. He may have been wearing a smile, but his mannerisms seemed to portray a more dire nature beneath the surface.

"You sure? Cause you've been looking over your shoulder like...all day," Clyde pointed out. If he'd heard the boy Lincoln did not show any signs of acknowledgement with how quickly he performed his next look-back.

"No I haven't," he laughed once he'd returned to his normal walk-cycle. Clyde's brow dropped slightly.

"Dude, if it's some bully don't worry, I got your back," he assured him. To drive home the claim Clyde reached into his backpack and pulled out two bike-helmets that he slapped down onto his head and Lincoln's before giving him a thumbs-up. The white-haired boy looked up at the protection-equipment in partial confusion.

"...have you had these waiting in your bag this whole time?" he asked.

"Of course. Dads always say it's better safe than sorry," Clyde recited, probably a bit more proudly than he should have. Lincoln just shook his head and removed his helmet to decrease the amount of stares he was getting from passerbys.

"No it's not a bully," Lincoln sighed, "...well..actually I can't say that for sure, but it's not...a "bully" bully." Though it wasn't much to go on, Clyde's interests were sinking their hooks into the information regardless. Whoever the person was that Lincoln had been on the lookout for it was sure to entail something exciting. And probably worrying. But still exciting. And anticipation for the excitement did not escape Lincoln's notice. "Look it's...just some drama is all, okay?"

"Oooo..." Clyde egged on to his pal's annoyance. Lincoln tried to give him a dismissive look but all he got in return were a few flutters from Clyde's eager eyelids.

"Clyde I-OOF!" he suddenly blurted. His backpack rolled across the ground upon hitting the floor and his head wobbled about loosely on its neck. In the daze his vision swam with multiplied images of the kids passing by in the halls, Clyde, some black and white blur in front of him, and a tuff of yellow hair off in the distance. Shaking his head, Lincoln regained his eyes' accuracy. What came into focus was the view of his black-haired sister who was in a similar state to him. Realizing who each other had bumped into they blushed and got back to their feet. "Lucy! S-sorry about-"

"I-it's fine, I should have watched where I-" she stuttered back as hesitantly as her voice would allow.

"No, I should have-"

"I was just lost in thoughts and-"

"There was a bike helmet that Clyde-"

"Wow, nice vampire!" Clyde's voice interrupted, "...looks...familiar for some reason...". The siblings blinked and looked over at him. Realizing the pile of books and writing materials scattered about from the collision, they began collecting their items back up. Lucy paused however once she ran the words of Lincoln's friend through her head once more and raced over to him to snatch the piece of paper into her own hands. Sure enough it'd been her work of "art". Doing her best to keep her face cooled, Lucy spared a glance up at Clyde's confused face before dropping it back down to the picture.

"Here ya go Luce. Heh, sorry again about all that..." Lincoln chuckled nervously. Not getting much of a response, Lincoln slid the backpack he'd reorganized over her arms which she promptly stuffed the piece of paper into.

"...t-thanks..." she replied quietly, the embarrassment of the meeting still lingering.

"No prob," Lincoln smiled ruffling her hair. That had not been helpful in the slightest for her complexion. But Lincoln just pressed on and lowered himself a tad to look her in the hair. Faint signs of swiveling beyond the locks conveyed her view of him. "See ya on the bus?" he asked, his voice almost a suspicious hush. Lucy prayed her cheeks were staying pale. She prayed, even if she doubted it. Her throat not wanting to eject a noise, she nodded. She looked over to Clyde and gave a motion between a nod and bow to him before walking off, steam feeling like it was sizzling from her head with how warm her face felt.

"Well that's certainly not a bully," Clyde laughed. Lincoln watched with surprising pleasantry as the shorter girl bobbed up and down rhythmically in her controlled walk and slipped back into the sea of students from which she'd no doubt clamored through in their time between classes. He didn't know why, but getting to interact with Lucy set him at ease for some reason. He hadn't realized it until then, but the times where he was without her had begun to feel...lacking. It was as though there was some draw to the interactions she brought. A more appreciative aspect that he wasn't used to for such prolonged periods. In a way it felt...nice. A feeling that he never noticed a craving for until they reunited.

"Yeah...definitely not a...bully!" Snapping his head around Lincoln took another view of the hall. He'd been certain that he'd seen some blondness in the swirls that his vision had become when he and Lucy had bumped into each other. Looking around though he couldn't spot either child he'd been on the alert for. Curious himself, Clyde looked around for any signs of an attacker, but he found noting.

"Dude...seriously, you alright?" he asked again. Not feeling it was worth the effort to give the question recognition, Lincoln's lowered back into a normal standing position as his brows furrowed and his lips pursed. "Hey buddy, come on, it's fine. Besides, we gotta get going, we're gonna be late if we keep stopping every few seconds." With a sigh, Lincoln's shoulders sunk and he reluctantly joined his friend in the revival of their previous trek.

With them out of sight however the blondness showed itself, and the head that the hair was attached to peered into the crowd to make sure that her target truly was vacating the area. Confident that Lincoln had departed, the girl pulled her hat up and waved it in the air. A few seconds later she was joined by another girl that looked rather similar to herself, though dressed entirely different. Hastily they rushed towards the nearby gym where they were sure to take cover behind the various pieces of equipment littering the room whenever the premise's authority-figure looked as though he might spot them. It didn't take much effort to stay hidden from the more dull-witted of the teachers, and in seconds they found themselves at the door to his office. To their fortune, and the dismay of Lana's tinkering, the door was unlocked allowing the other twin to waltz straight inside. Their motions already set, Lana stood guard at the door and waited.

"...come on already!" she grumbled after about half a minute of waiting. She doubted they even needed to try anything fancy to get into their positions for the school's coach, but her sister had made sure to emphasize the dramaticness of their act for the full effect. And thankfully it looked like that effect would be put into motion in just a few more seconds. Having spotted the little girl next to his door Coach Pacowski approached, hands on his hips.

"Well well, what have we here?" he asked with an inquiring smile.

"Your presence has been requested," Lana replied. Her stern face and dry delivery startled the man if nothing else.

"...presence?" he blinked. He looked at his door that Lana was guarding as she jabbed her thumb back at it. Completely confused he looked back down at her. "...wait, who requested-wh-what is this?"

"You'll find out," she shrugged. With a thwack she thrust it open and held her arm out to motion him in. Partly curious and party annoyed, the coach took a step forward to see who had decided to set up base in his office. "I really shouldn't say anything but...be careful with what ya say..." he heard the girl's voice say before the door slammed shut. Hesitantly he eyed the door, but brought himself back to face his desk after a moment, its swiveling chair's back to him. But someone was there. In the chair. He could feel it.

"Coach Pacowski..." a higher-pitched girl's voice greeted. His eyes narrowed. Of course it had to be the other one. If one of the blond Loud kids was up to something, the other was never far behind. "How's your day going? Are you comfortable? Injure anybody today? Get injured at all yourself? How's the Mini-Golf going?"

"Okay kiddo, we-...Mini-Golf?" he repeated. Sure it wasn't the most hidden hobby in the world, but for just some student to know about what he got up to in his free time was a bit of a surprise.

"Oh yes, you and Patti's favorite sport of course," Lola elaborated widening the man's eyes. Shock turning into invaded anger, Pacowksi grabbed the back of the chair and spun it around. Catching sight of the young girl he jumped back. In Lola's hand was a stuffed Unicorn that she stroked while her face stung with an expression of downcast seriousness, her brow alone casting shadows across her eyes.

"W-w-wha...what...is this?..." he stammered at the unbelieving imposition. He could feel his throat tighten as a grin crawled up the girl's cheeks.

"Coach Pacowski, what this is is a disastrous wrong that has been done to me and a deed of retribution. A deed that you, sir, are the last itty bitty piece of in acquiring the means that will allow this undertaking to transpire," the pink-clad girl explained. The man had to work the words around in his head for a few seconds before something clicked.

"Now hold on a second here. This sounds like some sort of scheme," he figured with a stern look on his face.

"You're right," Lola smiled.

"And why would I help with this?" he asked.

"Because if you don't Patti might find these photos of Agnes that you've kept hidden away beneath the gym floor," Lola told him tossing three images onto the desk. Coach Pacowski's mouth dropped open. Sure enough the pictures that the young blond had spoken of lay before him, pictures that no one should have known about, and pictures that certainly nobody should have known the location of.

"Wha-how-bwa-WHAT?" he blurted, his reddened face darting between the different pictures.

"Yeah, it would definitely be a shame for these to end up in the Nurse's office," Lola mused. Coach Pacowski's face deepened in color, though now more out of a more aggressive emotion.

"You-you-YOU! Are-are you blackmailing me!?" he yelled. Lola just kept smiling and stroking her stuffed animal.

"Yes," she replied. Coach Pacowski could feel his teeth grinding in his mouth, but the more he looked down at the pictures, the more his rage turned to worry. Whatever this girl was doing, she knew how to do it. And she was good at it. Submission overcoming him, the man closed his eyes and put his hands on the desk.

"...what...do you want?..." he sighed. Lola's mouth broadened.

"A dodgeball," she told him. Coach Pacowski shot her a confused look.

"...that's all?" he murmured, "...that's why you snuck into my office and are trying to extort me?..."

"Well it's not just ANY dodgeball. Duh!" she spat. Now his face compressed a bit. A dodgeball was a dodgeball. There wasn't anything special to any one of them. Other than...perhaps... Coach Pacowski backed up a bit.

"...you...why would you want...THAT?" he gulped. Sensing some resistance, Lola hopped off the chair and walked up to the man, his back getting closer to the door as she approached.

"To THROW it," she growled as she came to a stop and held the pictures up to him, "Now are you gonna get it or are you going to your next Mini-Golf outing by yourself?"

* * *

"Sigh. This overcrowded transport is far too lively..." somebody muttered in a seat about halfway through the bus. Had the others around the speaker not been so riled up and ready to get away from their day's educational prison some might have found it surprising that the voice was that of a boy rather than the gender that the usual goth of the vehicle possessed. For her in particular though she couldn't have been happier.

"Quite. It is a rather bothersome collection of youths," Lucy joined in, "Fortunately we'll be able to stole away in the sanctity of our secluded walls before too long."

"Yes, that will help so much with how thin they are," Lincoln pointed out just as dully as his sister's voice. Unable to hold back any longer the two turned to each other and grinned, snickers coming from the boy's throat. As important as the requested imitations were it had become quite amusing to perform the dreary persona. And the audience's expressions only solidified the emotions on her end, a rare experience for one of her typical sorrow.

"Within the hour we'll be free to listen to the muffled conversations of "literally" and "Bobby" repeated over and over ad-nauseum," he continued, breaking out of his monotone to give a shot at Lori's voice when he got to her words. Lucy had to cup her hands over her mouth to keep from the possibility of, however minuscule, bursting out with laughter. Having no need for restraint himself, Lincoln's snickers returned to her side. Though the vibrations in her vocal chords were dying down, Lucy still felt the need to give Lincoln's leg a bop with her fist. The two shared their previous look with each other until Lucy turned to the side to try and hide her ebullience. With their eyesight broken, Lincoln turned his recovering attention to the other seats of the bus. He scanned them over as his own voice-box calmed. It returned to normal once he spotted a mound of black curly hair a few seats ahead of them.

"Hey, Luce?" he asked. Bemusement still on her lips she eyed him but fell back into her usual state once she saw where his eyes directed her too. Spotting the boy ahead of them herself she nodded. Lincoln got up to change seats but felt himself anchored by his arm. Looking down he could see Lucy's pale hand outstretched into the aisle hanging onto his. Once she noticed it herself she unhooked it and pulled it back to her side, an embarrassed blush adorning her curled lips. Even though she tilted her head down, Lincoln gave her a sheepish smile before continuing over to his destination. In his walk however he spotted two other siblings a bit farther back, the more girly one giving him a vicious grin which coated his brow with a line of sweat.

"Hey there ya are!" Clyde exclaimed upon Lincoln's arrival, the white-haired boy taking the seat next to him as Clyde scooted out of the way, "I didn't even know you were on here! Oh man, did you see the way Renee made that score today in gym? I didn't know she could throw like that!" Lincoln just nodded along to whatever Clyde was rambling on about. Under normal circumstances he'd have given it more attention, but his mind was elsewhere. A few rows back in fact. It was that grin that Lola had given him. He couldn't recall the last time he'd seen so many teeth in her mouth. Hating that he sought more of an investigation, Lincoln poked his head out and chanced another glance at the twin's seat.

The other sister on the bus caught his eye first however and, mistaking the peek for one of herself, she smiled and patted the seat next to her. With an apologetic head-shake Lincoln declined the offer, a gesture that waned Lucy's expression back to her normal one and caused her to look to her other side awkwardly. Lincoln could have kicked himself for the declination, but there were more urgent matters for him. It didn't take long to pick out the twin's seat, they themselves caught up in some heated conversation. That is they were until the one on the end spotted the boy. Her grin returning, Lola brought out a rubber ball and smacked it into her free hand, a low "pok" noise bouncing from it.

Lincoln's pupils shrunk a bit and he whirled back around into his seat. Clyde may have been carrying on his one-sided conversation, but only a few choice items from it made their way into Lincoln's head. Basketball. Sports. Gym. Slowly the pieces of the puzzle fell into place making the blacks of his eyes become ever smaller. Thinking back on it, Coach Pacowski had given him some rather...sad looks during their class that day. Almost...regretful looks. Another "pok" noise made his hair stand on end.

"-I would've totally had that basket if I'd just bent my knees a bit more, I'm telling you. I-...Lincoln?...you uh...alright there buddy?" Clyde's excited trail of words came to an end as he looked his friend over. Lincoln's eyes seemed to be...pulsing. He could see his throat swell with saliva before swallowing it and heard his breath blow slowly from his nostrils. "Uh...Linc-"

"I'm gonna die," he said. Clyde shook his head in alarm. "I'm gonna fucking die..."

"What?" Clyde yelped, "Lincoln what are you talkin-" His voice became lost in the screech of the bus's tires as the vehicle rolled to a stop, its doors opening to let out a batch of students. Normally the Louds' stop would be a few beyond that, but on that day Lincoln claimed that one for his own. Clyde could hardly argue as he was pulled from his seat into the aisle by the lighter-skinned boy to join those departing. Noticing the familiar orange shirt, Lucy looked over the seat in front of her. For a bit her mind was just confused as to why Lincoln was deciding to get off, but with more thought she hopped to her own feet. It took Lincoln hardly a second to make it to the door and squeeze past those that were exiting. Clyde felt his whole body squash through the collection of children that he was pulled through. By the time Lincoln let go of his hand he was in a daze and coughing from the dust that the tires kicked up as the bus continued its route.

Lincoln however was well aware of the situation and watched carefully as each window passed, the one containing his twin sisters seeming to play by in slow motion when it entered his view, Lola's scheming grin ever present. The male Loud gave a relieved sigh with the exit of the impending threat and turned to Clyde in shaky triumph.

"What...was THAT...about?" Clyde hacked as he waved the smoke and dust out of his face.

"That, Clyde, was how you avoid death," Lincoln declared.

"Why would you want to do that?" a third voice asked causing the boys to scream. Almost like a ghost, Lucy's figure emerged from the clearing cloud of smoke between them.

"Holy-...god!" Clyde cried clutching his chest. The two took in quite shaky breaths in the appearance of the pale-skinned sister. She contemplated apologizing, but was more interested in figuring out what was going on. Shooting her an annoyed wince, Lincoln straightened himself back up and looked around. There was no sign of the twins anywhere. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he turned back to the two, a mixture of annoyance and interest on Clyde's face to accompany the female face that stared at him.

"It's...Lola..." Lincoln sighed, "she's got...a dodgeball..." Lucy's head tilted while Clyde's brows bent.

"That's why we got off the bus?" he asked, hands on his hips, "because of a DODGEBALL?"

"Yes, I have to say this is quite an...underwhelming revelation..." Lucy added.

"Guys you don't get it! It's not just SOME dodgeball, it was...it was..." Lincoln gulped. Lucy's head tilted again but now Clyde's eyes widened.

"Woah, you don't...how would she have even gotten that?" he questioned. Now Lucy's tilts were directed at Lincoln's friend.

"I have no idea but it's fine now. We're good. She and Lana were still sitting in their seats when the bus pulled away," Lincoln explained.

"So where are we going then?" Lucy asked. Both boys blinked at her. "I mean you can't go home if Lola's gonna...do whatever this dodgeball thing does to you can you?" All at once Lincoln's face fell. How had he cobbled together such a short-term solution? Maybe Lynn might think up that quality of a plan, but him? He may as well have thrown out all of the blueprints for the various ideas he'd come up with over the years. He couldn't believe he'd seriously not thought what to do upon reaching the house. But...perhaps that was the answer. It's not like they NEEDED to go home immediately, and they were in a part of town that held a much more enjoyable establishment than the hell he'd probably be headed to otherwise.

"Um...well...anybody up for some grub?" he suggested. Lucy and Clyde looked each other and grinned.

* * *

Scents of sizzling grease filled the air. Hurriedly a young man raced over to flip the next few slabs of meat while the money-filled drawer of the register bounced open to allow him access to the chance for the latest transaction he'd stepped away from. It had been a rather busy day, especially with the crowds of people leaving work and school. But it's nothing that he wasn't used to. Just another opportunity to pay ends meet with the money he was making. After slapping down the patties Grant stepped back over to the register to pull the money away from the customer and thrust their bag into their hands, the woman's eager face grinning ear to ear. Even without the smell of the bag she'd likely been salivating for a while given the fattening aroma that the grill produced. And with how many people had been in and out of the doors the fumes had been working overtime.

With another "Ch-ching!" the machine popped the drawer open and he took another batch of dollars from the next customer before swiping one of the fast-cooking patties onto a bun and wrapping its foil lining around it so that it could be tossed into its bag. With a batch of fries sliding in alongside it the meal was complete and thrown onto the counter where it was quickly picked up by the one who'd made the purchase. Grant wore a smug smile. He had to admit, with how often he was at the place he'd become quite the king of service within the establishment. Of course taking up a job at Lynn's Table also helped. It may have been a similar process but the standard there was definitely of higher quality, and, though it was a different pace and speed, he'd been able to garner quite the experience to utilize between both jobs in the hours that he worked.

Be it coincidence or fate, the thought of his other job's "boss" seemed to summon forth those of his family. Whether or not he worked for Lynn he'd have known their faces from how often they came in, and if not that it's not like the group stayed hidden from the rest of the community. They may have split up into smaller packs every now and then, but quite a few in Royal Woods knew of the enormous family and the havoc they could bring. Of course he'd also seen how much they could help as was the case with the opening of their fathers' restaurant..after messing things up initially. And it's not like they usually caused too much trouble for he himself anyhow. Usually...

For the three that approached the counter however, they seemed to be of the more relatively tame members of the family. Well those that were of the family. The other he saw often enough to remember his name at times.

"Well well if it isn't Clyde and Lincoln," he greeted slouching towards them from the counter. Hurriedly he reminded himself of the sister that accompanied them. Sadly he wasn't prepared for any outside of the sports-star of the group. "...and the creepy one," he added onto the end.

"Thank you," Lucy said.

"So, whatchu tikes want?" he asked.

"Three Big Belchers please!" Lincoln ordered. Grant was about to turn to start the burgers when Clyde held up his hand.

"Eh, just some fries for me, I'm not THAT hungry," he corrected. Grant winked before turning back to his work and Lincoln rummaged around in his pocket for some money. By the time the older male had returned eight dollars was laying on the counter in front of him and the kids had claimed a table towards the ball-pit while they waited. Lucy looked up at the additional set-pieces they'd added onto the play-area since the last time they'd been there. What had originally been just a simple indentation for kids to swim around the mass of plastic spheres inside of was now connected to a fully-built series of tubes and hard boxes suspended in the air. It may not have been the most lavish setup a fast-food joint had ever possessed, but it was more than she was used to from the place.

"Ya know, I might be able to get behind the thought of your life being threatened," Clyde told his buddy before taking a sip from the drink he'd gotten before seating himself.

"Yes, it does seem to yield quite satisfying results," Lucy agreed sniffing the air with a smile. Lincoln likely would have been distasteful towards the pair if he hadn't become suffocated in the mouth-watering environment also. "Though I still fail to see what is so terrifying about a dodgeball," she continued. The reminder of the object nearly made the Clyde's soda shoot out of his nose. Lincoln jumped while Lucy just watched the boy cough and hack on the liquid that had become lodged in his throat on the way to his lungs. Lincoln tried to pat Clyde on the back but he gently pushed him away and gave a few last good hacks before wiping his tear-filled eyes and looking at the other boy.

"Dude...are you sure it was HER dodgeball?" he asked, his voice riddled with wheeze.

"It had the imprint of your glasses on it," Lincoln told him. Clyde's lower eyelids raised in terror, both at the current situation and his memories. Now Lucy was interested. It wasn't everyday that she got to hear of such impactful violence from school equipment.

"Was there blood?" she asked, her companions unsure as to whether she was excited or not.

"At the time? Yeah. This is Clyde. You've seen how he is around Lori. The ball just splattered that stuff everywhere when it hit his face."

"Dude, you don't need to-"

"Fascinating..." she almost sang clasping her hands together. Both boys inched away from the her a bit, an action she took little notice of.

"Luce?...there's no blood now..." Lincoln pointed out, though that did little more than lower her hands. Her face still perpetrated her interest in the matter.

"Even so, this ball. It must be-"

"Loud Table!" an older voice hollered. The three looked to the counter where their food slid into view, then at each other, and raced to it. In seconds they were back in their seats, the brother and sister eagerly devouring their hamburgers while their other companion chewed on his fries.

"Even sho..." Lucy repeated through her collection of meat and condiments, "This ball. It must-" the girl's words, though attempting to continue to spill from her mouth, were cut off from a sip of her drink, "must be rimmed with spikes or some form of- cmfph!-of lethality..." The girl gaped for air once the mixture of food and liquid swam down her throat before biting into another round of garbled sentences. "Mmm, this-mm-ish quite good."

"You're tellin' me," Lincoln nodded, bits of bun flying onto the table from his own mouth.

"Nah, it's got nothing to do with spikes or anything. It's just a rubber ball," Clyde told her as he popped another fry into his mouth. Lucy thought notion over in her head as she chewed and gulped her latest bite.

"Then why is this piece of inflated plastic so terrifying to you two?" she asked flatly. The boys stopped chewing to exchange worried looks, a sign that would have elicited quite the enthusiasm from Lucy had it been of any other object she'd think would be used to assault them. She just did not understand why such anxiety was placed on a ball. Lincoln and Clyde however knew full well the horror it brought.

"Lucy, that's not just SOME ball," Lincoln told her. Swallowing his food, he put a hand on her arm. "That is GIRL JORDAN'S ball." He could feel her limb drop so far that his hand slid up to her shoulder. She may not have known the girl personally but her "name" was no stranger to those around school, especially amongst the older kids. She may have seemed like just another budding female, but the hushed voices of those from gym-class held different stories.

"You have no idea what it's like trying to not get hit by her!" Clyde yelped, "One time she threw it so hard that it knocked Lincoln, Liam, Rusty, Me, AND Zach all to the ground IN ONE THROW!" Lincoln rubbed his arm at the memory.

"One time she slammed it into the ground and it bounced straight up into my face!" Lincoln cried, "I think I must have gotten knocked out! The next thing I knew I was looking up and saw everyone standing around me!"

"One time it hit me so hard that it left an imprint of my glasses in it!" Clyde wailed. Lucy and Lincoln, the latter of which with a more hesitant feel, exchanged flippant faces.

"We uh...already went over that one Clyde," Lucy reminded.

"And now I've had to relive it all over AGAIN!" he cried throwing his face into his hands causing them to roll their eyes. Even with the short term memory though, Lucy could now understand the unnerving situation. And she was enthralled in the item of their collected terror.

"This is amazing," Lucy thought aloud, startling both of the boys.

"Amazing?" Lincoln gawked.

"Yes! Don't you see? A dodgeball is just a dodgeball. But this one that your Girl Jordan seems to frequent appears to have taken on a whole new energy that's backing it. She must be unknowingly binding part of her soul to it! Oh, if I could get ahold of it. The ceremonies I might be able to perfo-" Lucy's dreams trailed off in the face of the two unamused boys glowering at her. Bashfully she sprouted a sympathetic smile to her face. "...ha ha..." she said dryly, "...w-what I mean to say is, I now see why you're so worried about Lola having gotten ahold of it..." Now Clyde joined the questioning end of the discussion.

"Okay, hold up a second. I almost forgot to ask. What exactly is this all about?" he said to the two, his head wrinkled in thought, "why's she even after you?". Lucy looked to Lincoln in a silent question of her own to which he gave an iffy hand gesture. They returned their view to Clyde, his own prying for answers.

"...alright, look, yesterday...," Lincoln sighed. He could still feel his head ringing sometimes when he reminisced about his little "match" against Lisa's Assistant-Bot, "Long story short...some...actually a lot of...shit happened...because of Luan...and...um..."

"Lincoln took the blame," Lucy finished. One look at her turned his wincing face to his other side. If her voice hadn't conveyed it, her grimace displayed her venom towards his decision from the prior day. Clyde shot him his own look of disbelief.

"Seriously dude?" he asked with a vacant stare. Lincoln just rubbed his arm leaving Clyde to turn to Lucy who just shook her head. "Well, it's obvious how you can avoid Lola then," he smirked. Lincoln's head perked up. "Just tell her the truth."

"WHAT?! But they'd kill Luan!" he exclaimed. Even though he couldn't see Lucy's eyes, Clyde could tell her eyebrows had flattened just like his in the look they gave each other.

"...yeah but is that really a bad thing though?" he asked.

"I could have her service ready within the hour," Lucy offered. Lincoln's annoyed look portrayed his viewpoint rather clearly, one that pulled the other twos' heads back towards the walls of their seats.

"Alright alright, fine. But...what are you gonna do about-" Clyde started to ask, but was cut off by a loud BANG. Immediately the trio's eyes were drawn to the front door where the afternoon sun poured in around the shape of a smaller figure, her shadow casting all the way to the counter with another similarly-sized shadow at her side. The sound of rubber hitting her free hand shot the group's eyes open and they dashed as quickly as possible behind the backseat of a nearby booth. Malice stinging her eyes, Lola viewed the fast-food restaurant from left to right and snapped her fingers calling forth Lana to hop forward on all fours and sniffed the air.

"Dang it! The burgers are messing with my sense of smell!" she grumbled. Then she took another sniff and felt her mouth beginning to water "Mmm...not that I mind..."

"Focus Lana!" Lola growled, "I want him found! NOW!"

"Geez, how do you even know they came in here?" her sister retorted.

"Cause you picked up our shampoo's scent around this area's bus-stop," Lola reminded, "And because where else would he head out here?"

"Um...welcome to-"

"NOT NOW GRANT!" Lola spat. Eagerly the cashier retreated back into the kitchen.

"Uh...you uh..sure we can't just have one..."

"Positive. NOW MOVE!" Lola ordered. Reluctantly Lana began sniffing as best she could around the aisles. It didn't take long for them to pass by the booth that the others had hidden behind, but they had long since vacated the spot. Fearfully the older kids poked their eyes out from between the leaves of some sort of vegetation that had been set up near the line of the cash register.

"Dear lord! What are we going to do? I'm literally having a panic attack here!" Clyde whimpered clutching his chest.

"Get ahold of yourself!" Lincoln said as quietly as his panicked voice could while he took hold of his collar and shook him. Once he was finished Lucy patted Clyde's back. "Look, it's ME they're after. They don't care, or...might not even know you two are here...actually you guys can just head out right now. This...is my fight, not-"

"No. That is not happening," Lucy told him. He felt his face heat up from the hand she grabbed. "You aren't just getting to die alone. Not when we both have the opportunity." Lincoln looked down at her hand and squeezed it back.

"You aren't the one she's after. You'd have to get in the way for her to-"

"Then I'll take that bullet," she told him stepping up towards his body, "for you..." From the distance that she was at he could smell the remnants of their shampoo on her hair. The smell Lana was after.

"...well we Louds do all smell alike..." he murmured as he thought about the tracking of Lola's "bloodhound".

"You don't have to sleep in the same room as Lynn," she told him. He furrowed his brows at the remark.

"My point is...be careful..." he told her putting a hand to her cheek. Even though she felt her cheeks warm her expression didn't shrink away.

"The worst they can do is put me in a coffin..." she mused. Lincoln just shook his head.

"Hey, I ain't leaving either," Clyde told them causing the two to jump. They'd nearly forgotten about him in his collapsing panic. Fortunately, though shaken, he wore a face of seriousness. "Clincon..."

"McLou-" Lincoln started to say but stopped. At first Clyde was confused as to why he didn't receive the full response but then saw him turn his head to Lucy. "...Clincy?" Lincoln asked. Clyde blinked before the realization hit him as well and he too joined in the thought process.

"Cluccoln?" he suggested. Lincoln shook his head and put a finger to his lip. Then he snapped it.

"Clincuc-"

"Yeah!" Clyde nodded. Lucy let out a monotone "ahh" of surprise as she was pulled between them and watched as they threw their fists into the air.

"Clincucy McLoud!" Lincoln and Clyde exclaimed together. Eagerly they looked at the younger girl who took a second to register just what they were doing. Though somewhat embarrassed to be taking part in such behavior, she put her own fist into the air and hit it together with theirs. The partners grinned at each other.

"So what's the plan?" Clyde asked.

"Er-..." Lincoln murmured rubbing the back of his head. What WAS the plan? Lola had Lana with her. Wherever they went she'd be able to track them. At least that's how it seemed. Sure they could run, but where to?

"We get out of here," Lucy said.

"And then what?" Clyde pressed on.

"We'll get to that when we get to it. Right now though we've got bigger problems," she told them pointing towards the front doors. There paced Lana, her head constantly on alert. Hesitantly the trio buried themselves deeper into the plants.

"Great! How are we gonna do this now?" Clyde moaned.

"Do WHAT now?" a fourth voice asked. Their joints frozen with sheer fear, Lucy, Lincoln, and Clyde's heads turned to the side to see a smaller pink-clad girl standing there, a dodgeball making a "pok" sound each time she hit it against her open hand. A vicious grin spread across Lola's face.

* * *

The Burpin' Burger exploded into a frenzy of alarmed patrons as the family raced about the building. Given their longer legs Lincoln, Lucy, and Clyde had little problem staying ahead of their more juvenile pursuers, but what Lola and Lana lacked in physical expertise they made up for in craftiness. The group had been about to round a booth when a wrench was thrown onto the leg of a chair and clamped onto it preventing their access. Looking back over their shoulders they could see Lana getting another piece of equipment out to toss while her twin clung to the dodgeball, her arms ready to reel it back for a throw at any moment. They didn't have much time left. In seconds they'd be at the wall of the restaurant. Their heads swung towards each other and then looked around at the upcoming options. Two ways to go at the end of the rows of booths just before the wall. Looking at each other again, Lincoln pointed at the two at either side of him and swam his hands back and forth in front of him. Lucy and Clyde nodded.

Just before they could collide with the wall in front of them they took action, as the twins suspected they would. What they did however they were unprepared for. Out of nowhere Lucy and Clyde wove about in front of Lincoln over and over until he joined in the back-and-forth movements of his companions himself. Losing a proper lock of the individual targets neither twin could get a proper judgment of where to throw their items and eventually the kids broke off where the path split, two of them going in one direction and one in the other. Which ones they were however Lola and Lana were too spun about from their movements to tell. Lana looked down the paths and sniffed the air which caused her face to tighten.

"Huh...that's...great, Lucy and Lincoln split up. I smell Louds in both directions," she deduced.

"I just want HIM!" Lola reminded.

"Well, take your pick," Lana offered splaying her hands out to both sides, "can't really help ya with which one's which here." Though Lana could see her sister's teeth grinding in her head she wasn't too fazed by the anger. She'd been having to put up with it ever since they realized Lincoln had gotten off the bus early, and with the way Lola liked to bark orders there wasn't too much that Lana hadn't been desensitized to.

"Alright, you go that way I go this way!" Lola ordered jabbing an outstretched finger in either direction. Lana simply nodded and sauntered off leaving the pageant queen to venture down the path that the single kid of the older group had traversed leading her to the ball-pit of the restaurant. Carefully she looked over the tables and aisles surrounding the structure being sure not to overlook any detail. A few kids and even an adult turned their attention away from the frightening young girl, likely a good idea for them with how her expression only seemed to worsen with every second that passed. It infuriated her. First the bus and now in the very restaurant they'd tracked them to.

She was getting pretty sick of having to hunt down what should have been an easy strike of revenge. And yet there she was, Lincoln having seemingly disappeared yet again. Her scowl only continued to worsen until her eyes rocked back and forth in her head and a smile formed beneath her slitted eyes. Quietly she turned to the ball-pit itself and watched. At first there was nothing, but she was patient. She'd had to wait this long already had she not? She could wait a few seconds more. And in those seconds she got the confirmation she'd been looking for. Sure enough, the longer she watched the more apparent the pulsing of the mass of plastic became. The balls moved ever so slightly from time to time. Almost like something was something living within them. Almost like there was someONE in there.

Her mouth widening, Lola hopped into the pit and began to fish around in it with her hands. She could have sworn she'd caught someone, but when she brought the victim up it just fell apart as a mound of collected balls. Growling, she returned to her search, now digging her arms so deep that only the shoulders of her limbs were visible. She almost felt that she had something once more, this time something much harder feeling, and maybe felt a strip of fabric brush across her fingers as well, but it was only there for a moment, and the more she searched for the fleeting catch the less she took notice of her surroundings. Most specifically, she had fallen completely unaware of the mound that was slowly rising behind her allowing Lucy to emerge without recognition.

With a quick flick of her arm she launched one of the plastic balls at the smaller girl's head and retreated back beneath the spheres before she could spin around. When she did Lola found, once more, nothing, but scratched the back of her head as she returned to her search. Another opportunity afforded to her, the paler girl sprouted up and konked another ball at her before plunging back down. This time Lola could tell that whomever was in there with her was now making a fool of her and she leapt at where she presumed the object to have been thrown from. Having expected the attack however, Lucy had immediately vacated the spot and popped up behind her again. Realizing that Lola was too caught up in her anger-fueled quest to still give her any attention, Lucy grinned and sunk back down.

"Oh Linky! Come on out already! You're only making this worse for your-" Lola tried to sing through clenched teeth. The threat was cut short though when her arms stopped moving. They didn't stop by desire, they were more...startled into a pause. And then she fell forward slightly. Hastily she pulled back but was pulled down again. Something was grabbing her arm! "L-L-Link-EEEE!" she cried as she was yanked around the ball-pit, "W-w-what are you d-doin-mmfmfm!" Lola's voice became lost in the collection of plastic as she was pulled under.

* * *

The two boys were panting, their lungs on the verge of collapse from the chase they'd been participating in. Each time they thought they'd lost the trouser-wearing sibling she popped right back up. Sometimes in front, sometimes behind, but never far away. They couldn't understand how she had so much stamina, though she was no doubt beginning to feel the fatigue herself. At any normal establishment the staff would have likely intervened in the affair, but the current burger-flipper figured that his safety was more preserved with his usual tasks. If there was one benefit to the time they'd spent lapping the restaurant though it was that the boys had had more than enough time to work through a course of action.

In moments they would be nearing the ball-pit and that was when they would split. They knew Lana's legs weren't as long as theirs and as such the distance she crossed never kept up quick enough after rounding the corners if they skidded as quickly as they could, a habit they'd fallen into after about the second go-around. But she was always able to keep their location. Looking back to judge the gap between them and her, Lincoln and Clyde decided to round the next booth after which they nodded to each other. While Clyde continued forward Lincoln split at the booth after the one they'd just turned at and sprinted off towards the counter. Lana turned the corner she'd been left at just in time to see Clyde skid around the booth ahead towards the area near the ball-pit. Realizing what their game was as the plastic tubes and cubes of the play-area came into view, Lana grinned.

She didn't even bother to throw off her shoes and instead opted to charge straight up into the hollowed-out structures. More primal instincts of energy and movement directed her motions in the confined crawlspaces, their maze-like setup lending to a more tempting offer of exploration, but she fought the urges. She had a mission. A mission that she was so close to. She knew that the bigger children would be having a much harder time of maneuvering about the enclosed environment they'd stupidly trapped themselves within, and her much more devious twin was currently swimming in the ball-pit that it attached to, probably waiting for their exit.

But the more she searched, the more she felt the notion of success slipping away. Lincoln was no idiot. He could slip up in a panic, but they'd been racing ahead of her for at least a minute. Would he have really let himself take such a risk within the tubes so readily with the advance he had had on her? Feeling foolishness washing over her, Lana slowed to a stop after around the third look-through of the play-area and frowned. She couldn't believe that she'd been tricked so easily in her eager task. That boy really did know how to strategize. Not one to let a good play-place go unused, Lana made sure to crawl through the tubes one more time before exiting and jerking her head around to get any lead on where the boys might have gone.

She was about to continue her search elsewhere when she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. Shoes. Familiar shoes tucked away in the plastic holders next to the play-area. There was only one boy she knew of that might follow such a trivial rule in the hurry that they'd been in. Clyde was still in the area. But where? Neither he nor Lincoln had hidden within the tubes and cubes that she'd crawled through and there was no way they'd have avoided her in there without making any noise. So if he wasn't inside of them, he'd...have to...be...on the...outside. Clyde McBride felt his throat tighten as Lana looked up at where he was holding onto the roof of one of the tubes. Had she not been running for so long she might have actually had the energy to climb up to him, but as it were she just shook her head in annoyance.

"HEY!" she yelled. Clyde, a bit perplexed by the call, blinked. "Where's Lincoln?"

"Um..who's Lincoln?" he asked back. Both children displayed their own expressions of disbelief at the quality of his cover-up. He did have the advantage however. He had fundamentally shot down any lead that Lana might have had at getting to her brother through him given his unwillingness to cooperate and with how high up he was. Sighing, Lana just lowered her head. She really didn't have the energy to keep going at the rate she had. After a few seconds of thought she looked up at the boy again.

"Hey! You hungry?" she asked. Just as baffled as before by the conversation she attempted, Clyde turned his head to the ceiling in thought.

"Well...I just had fries but...yeah I guess...wasn't expecting to get chased all over the place," he replied.

"Kay, then get down here. I'm not gonna wait forever," she told him. Had Clyde not been so starved from the energy he'd lost he would have likely assumed it was one last desperate attempt to catch him, but somehow he could tell that the little girl was just as craving as he was for food. As carefully as he could he slid down the tube that led to the ground below and started putting his shoes on. "You comin' or what?" he heard her bark from the counter. Glaring slightly, he yanked the second shoe on, readjusted his feet inside of them, and bounced over to her side. After a pause of nothing happening they eyed each other and looked over the counter.

"...hey Grant?" Lana called. Cautiously the clerk poked his head out from behind the kitchen wall.

"Is it safe?" he gulped.

"For now," Lana told him, "we need two Big Belchers." Relieved to have some peace, he set two patties on the grill and hopped over to the register where he recited the cost of their purchase to them. He was about to take the dollars that the girl held out when he stopped and gave her a suspicious look.

"...you wouldn't happen to have any frogs with you would you?..." he muttered. Clyde could see her eyebrows raise a bit as she forced an innocent grin to her face.

"NOPE," she smiled. Though his face didn't ease up much, the cashier did take the money and deposited it into the register before returning to the grill. Noticing Clyde's odd stare she shrugged. He shook off the undoubtedly numerous questions he might have on the matter and decided to take a look for a good seat. Most of the tables had taken to clearing out during their stay due to a combination of the waning hours left in the day and the complete havoc they'd displayed in their chase throughout the building making the task a bit easier. Just as he thought he'd found the perfect spot however a woman and her children sat themselves down at the booth near the playset that he'd been betting on.

"Dang it..." he mumbled. It didn't take Lana long to see why he'd made the complaint once she saw where he was looking.

"Here ya are, two Big Belchers," Grant announced dropping the bags rather carelessly in front of Lana, "And no frogs..."

"NO FROGS," she assured him, "Come on Clyde, I got a place to sit." Eager to eat, the younger child pulled him over to a table across from the ball-pit and she dropped her burger onto it to unwrap it. Clyde removed his a bit more carefully but his stomach urged him towards a quicker assault more akin to Lana's rending of her casing. All things considered though he wasn't too far behind the younger girl in his devouring of the item. He felt heaven wrap around him as the juices and grease squeezed from the burger and into each crack of his teeth and taste buds.

"Mmm..." he moaned, "Now THIS is a good burger."

"Nah," Lana's voice retorted through chunks of meat, "That's a different show." Clyde stopped chewing to think.

"...actually it was just a skit at first," he corrected.

"Yeah, but everyone always references the movie," she pointed out. Unable to argue the matter, Clyde shrugged and nodded before taking another bite. It was perhaps a minute and a half before empty wrappers littered the table leaving their owners to give a burp each in satisfaction. "...yeah...yeah that was pretty good," Lana finally agreed, Clyde nodding once more, "So...what's your stake in all of this?"

"Huh?"

"You know. Helpin' Lincoln out."

"Oh. Well...he's my best friend. He told me about how you're hunting him down for the whole prank-bot-whatever that happened yesterday," he replied as he tried to pick some sesame seeds out of his teeth.

"Oh, so you know he deserves it then," Lana assumed. Unable to slide the seeds out with his nails, Clyde instead shut his mouth and tried wobbling them loose with his tongue.

"Eh...well...I dunno honestly," he said through his lips. Feeling the specks loosen, he took one last swipe with his tongue and they feel deeper into his mouth where he swallowed them. He knew he should respect Lincoln's decision, but at the same time he really didn't care to see the guy put himself in harm's way so willingly. "I mean...he could just be covering up for Luan..."

"Yeah I've been wanting to think that, but he still stuck up for her if that's the case," Lana shot back. Clyde was really having a hard time not just blurting out the truth, but he didn't know if that'd even affect her viewpoint with how she was thinking. He was broken out of the thoughts though from the girl's twin suddenly erupting from the lower levels of the ball-pit, her hair frazzled and her skin decorated in all manners of scruffs and scratches. Giving a few coughs, some plastic balls shot out of her mouth and she let loose and yell. "Eh...besides, you try talking her down from it right now," she said jabbing a thumb at Lola who stumbled about in the pit angrily.

Clyde had to agree with the younger child on that matter. He nearly jumped when he felt a sudden crackle from his pocket. He checked Lana quickly and pulled out his walkie-talkie once he'd confirmed that her interest had returned to the grease of her wrapper, which she was currently attempting to slurp up, much to his unease.

"Come in Jack Sheppard, this is John Dillinger. Do you copy?" Lincoln's voice popped up over the receiving end of the communicator.

" Jack Sheppard here, I," Clyde responded quietly as he turned away from his meal-mate, "gotta keep it down though. I'M RIGHT NEXT TO LANA HERE. What's your status?" Clyde listened intently to his friend's now-lowered voice. "Uhuh...yeah...okay...gotcha...Alright, we'll see ya there. Jack Sheppard out." Clyde clicked off of the walkie-talkie not a moment too soon. The instant he pocketed the device Lana lowered her wrapper with a satisfied sigh. Curious to her twin's activity she peered over at the ball-pit again, as did Clyde. Lola was digging through the plastic spheres more viciously than ever. And for what it was worth, it did amuse her sister.

While Lana laughed to herself Clyde noticed what appeared to be a tuff of black hair blanketing a collection of balls off to the side. Having apparently realized the eyes on her, Lucy lifted her head up to show her own recognition to him. He felt he had no better opportunity to communicate with the pale-skinned sister while the blond ones were so distracted and made the shape of an L with his fingers. Once Lucy cocked her head he motioned the action of running with his fingers before bringing them to a stop and "jumping" them into the air to make them do a flip. After a few more times of Clyde repeating the action, Lucy's head perked up and she nodded. Clyde then looked at the twins and shrugged at her. Lucy thought for a second before sinking down. A few moments later a barrage of balls swamped up over the edge of the pit and flooded out onto the floor below, an action that immediately caught the attention of the younger kids.

"GET HIM!" Lola yelled trying to swim over to the side that Lincoln had presumably dropped out of. More out of instinct than obedience, Lana pounced towards their prey as well leaving Clyde free to join Lucy as she dove out of the other side of the pit and headed for the door.

* * *

"And don't think I didn't catch that candy-swipe!" Flip blurted at the latest pair of patrons. The boy was urged back to the counter by his mom and he gave the man a scowl as he slapped some money on the counter. "Yeah, that's how ya do it," he teased pulling the dollars over to his side. The boy was about to turn when the older male grabbed his hand. "Uh uh, interest," Flip demanded. Gritting his teeth, the kid reached back into his pocket and rolled the change he could find onto the counter where it was greeted with a satisfied grin by the clerk. Feeling his damages recouped, Flip let go of the kid and he hurried back to his parent. Having run his business as in-depth as he had over the years within the community, Flip was no stranger to the thieves that rose from its youth. He just laughed at those that suggested some type of security system. Aside from the clear waste of money it would be, he had had more than enough experience to handle any would-be pickpockets. After all, he knew every trick they could play from his own experience on their end.

As the boy exited he took a moment to look at a kid walking towards the counter-area who was drinking a Flippee. Recognizing him from a grocery store he'd been kicked out of, the boy shot him a glare, an expression that was given right back to him once Lincoln realized who he was looking at. He added on a stuck-out-tongue once the boy was pulled out the door by his mother.

"Eh, nice effort kid, but that little brat deserves a more hand-given gesture," Flip told him. While Lincoln didn't exactly feel like putting on such a display, he couldn't say he disagreed with the store-clerk. That boy had cost him a good box of cereal. "So, you gonna just hang out here all day or am I gonna have to pay ya to get lost?" Flip asked as he counted some of the money in the register.

"Oh y-yeah, I'll be gone in a few. Just waiting for Lucy and Clyde," he answered giving his beverage a nervous sip.

"Okay I know one of those names is that friend o yours and I can only assume the other one's one of your five billion sisters," Flip said inspecting one of the dollars, "...hey, does this one look fake to ya? I think it looks fake. Since when was Cleveland on the twenties?"

"Don't worry Flip, they should be here in a f-"

"Lincoln!" Clyde's voice exclaimed as the door was flung open. Lincoln's smile spread wide at the sight of his accomplices. He hated having to leave them earlier, but it'd have been a disservice to let their distractions go to waste. The kids hurried over to each other, the girl giving her brother a surprising hug which she almost immediately broke out of in an uncomfortable cough.

"Alright hold on, I'm gonna check this out," Flip hollered and took the bill he'd been inspecting back into his office.

"Are you guys alright?" Lincoln asked once the clerk had left.

"Us? What about you?" Clyde replied.

"Well any real damage would have come from whatever Lana did to you two," Lucy reminded as she somehow popped up behind Lincoln to feel his arms. Her brother tried to stay as still as possible as she crawled across his body in her analysis. "And from the lack of broken bones, strengthened sinew, and..." Lincoln gave Clyde an embarrassed look with how long she was leaving the side of her head against his chest, "...normal heart-beat...it...apparently wasn't all that much..."

"Yeah, I was okay once I got out," Lincoln confirmed.

"Phew, guess that was a success th-" Clyde started to say. Halfway through the sentence however he clutched his stomach, "Scratch that! Man down! Shouldn't have run the whole way here after the burger!" Lincoln watched as Clyde hurried to the bathroom leaving the Loud siblings on their lonesome. Noticing the body still against his, Lincoln poked Lucy's head. Realizing the position herself, the girl quickly lifted her head back.

"Um," she coughed, "It's a good heart-rate..." Lincoln's eyes glanced back and forth across the store.

"...uh thanks?"

"May I keep it when you die?" she asked with a toothy smile.

"WHAT?" he yelped. Lucy's mouth curved towards a more pained wince from his voice. Why did she have to be enraptured in such morbidity? Had she any other material to converse with she'd have proposed it, but she simply didn't have the experience. Fortunately Lincoln recovered quickly. He was used to the constant bleakness of the poet. He'd just been caught off-guard with the suddenness of it was all. Seeing the teeth now clenching the girl's lower lip he put a hand on her back causing her to look up at him.

"Look, when I die you can have that and my brain," he chuckled. Grinning at the teasing, Lucy gave her own flat laughs. The two's voices faded leaving them waiting for Lincoln's friend. In the absence of their talking however, his ears picked up something else and Lincoln's face lit up as his mind worked out a scheme. "Say...ya know Luce, Flip just got a new batch of Cocoa bars in today..." The nervousness almost vanished completely from the information and she shot off around the corner into the candy aisle.

"Oh hey!" Lincoln heard a younger boy greet. He grinned and took out his phone.

"U-um-h-hello," Lucy's responded. The moment she'd rounded the corner she'd had to jerk to a stop. Right at the entrance of the aisle had been a curly-orange-haired boy who'd been taking a bag of chips. Had her voice-box been working right she might have been focused enough to hear an odd clicking noise as she tried to interact with him. "H-h-how are you doing Rocky?..." she asked.

"Oh I'm good. Got any new coffins?" he asked back.

"Oh yes. Was working on a birch one last week actually. The framework has some issues, but I'm thinking about putting some of the bends in hot water to make them more flexible."

"Cool. Ya know I heard there's some made out of banana leaves," he said.

"I've actually been trying to get my hands on one. Mostly for research. It's hard to beat the more classic-types for me. Never know though...might actually end up liking it more than I think," Lucy admitted. The two nodded in agreement. After a bit of an awkward pause, Rocky looked to the open end of the aisle behind him.

"Well, I gotta go. Told Rusty I'd be back in a minute. Nice seein' ya!" Rocky said to her.

"Y-yeah," she replied and waved to him as he left. She didn't realize it until he was gone, but she'd been holding her breath which she expelled with some relief. Sturdying herself, she picked out a bar and then took another for good measure before making her own exit. Not seeing Lincoln where she'd left him, she ventured towards the rear of the building where she found him grinning at her from the Flippee machine.

"...what?" she shrugged noticing the continued presence of his expression even after she'd come to a stop near him. Looking to the ceiling, Lincoln got out his phone and dangled it in front of her face, an image of her stammering next to Rocky on it. Blushing she turned to the side and folded her arms. "Groan..." she murmured.

"Just consider us even for the heart-startle earlier," he laughed.

"Sigh."

"Hey, if you can use Ronnie Anne I can use him," he said as he leaned forward from behind her on the counter of the Flippee machine. Though aggravated, Lucy looked to the side when Lincoln slid something into view. A drink.

"What's this about?" she mumbled.

"You don't think I wouldn't have an apology ready just in case things went bad did ya?" he chuckled. Smirking, Lucy grabbed the Flippee and took a sip.

"Delighted hum. What is this flavor?" Lucy asked.

"Cherry with a little bit of Blue Raspberry. Darkens the hue enough for it to look more like blood," Lincoln told her. Intrigued by the declaration, Lucy peered through the translucent lid of the cup. Sure enough a good crimson greeted her eager vision. It could have done with a bit more red after the mixing, but it was a closer attempt than she would have thought to make. Taking another sip she slouched onto the counter herself and leaned against Lincoln. Lincoln looked to the door of the convenience-store. Clyde still hadn't returned. Come to think of it, how had he even had time to get a burger with Lana chasing him? There were definitely questions to be raised for his friend, but their urgency was pushed away from the sweet nectar that he himself ingested. Well, him and his sister.

Looking at Lucy's cup, Lincoln grinned and gave his a loud slurp. The sound worked as he'd hoped and got her attention. The moment it provided him allowed him to continue the sucking with a more aggressive speed. Lincoln's eyebrows hopped making Lucy realize what he was playing at and before too long she too was in the midst of downing her own drink. The two siblings raced for a few seconds before Lincoln noticed the faintest stinging beyond his eyes and took his lips off the cup. Lucy's proudness of her supposed victory clouded her to the obviousness of her actions. It was too late by the time she yanked the straw away from her mouth and slammed the cup on the counter, her free hand clutching her head in agony.

"Mother...fucker..." she growled. Lincoln gave a few gurgled laughs until the chunky liquid became lodged in his throat causing him to choke what he had left down. Once his coughs had lessened his eyes went wide and he grabbed at his them, the spheres themselves clenching their lids shut over them in seething pain from the coldness that swam across the interior of his skull. Lucy grinned in delight at the shared suffering. Lincoln's strained jaws of compressed teeth slumped into an exhausted lour and he replied with a face of annoyed embarrassment at his plan's backfiring.

"Shut it..." he grumbled.

"Love you too," Lucy shot back before taking a victory sip. Lincoln grumbled in his throat as he turned his attention back to his drink. Looking down into the melting contents though, a word repeated in his head. Love. With more somber eyelids he let out a sigh, an act that didn't escape Lucy's recognition.

"Another day another missed opportunity huh?" he laughed lightly, "final day before the big one and we spend it on the run." Realizing what he was talking about, Lucy pulled her cup away and tilted her head downwards. To Lincoln's surprise he saw a smile form.

"To be honest, I'm not too worried," she told him, "with how you've been progressing you should do...decent. Yeah, you probably won't be the darkest boy there, but we can probably pass you off as having just gotten into the goth scene." Lincoln ran his fingers through his hair while he grinned sheepishly. He didn't think he'd be getting that kind of acceptance so easily. "Besides, it has been kind of...fun running around with you today...in an interrupting-the-schedule kind of way. At least better than yesterday's dilemma."

"Oh you have no idea," he muttered as he rubbed his cheek. He could still feel the impact of the machinery against his body parts. Lucy's vision prodded him for elaboration.

"The metallic blow

Its impact makes spilled blood flow

I'm gonna kill Luan."

The girl felt her jaw slack a bit once her mind put together what type of sentences Lincoln was choosing to explain his experience with.

"Sigh, such gifts," Lucy complimented with a blush, "if only you would join me on a regular basis. The poems we could craft for this town..." Lincoln just smiled. He had to admit, it did seem to come to him a bit easily when he actually tried to take part in her passion, but he was just happy hearing his work's acceptance. "Yes...you...you'll be adequete enough no doubt. Just gotta get a good look for you and go over some basics tomorrow before the show. Should be able to skim by with what all you've picked up in-"

"Hey guys!" Clyde interrupted as he walked through the entrance, his issues resolved, "Lincoln! You'll never guess what. I saw Rusty and his bro. They were driving away when I got out of the bathroom!"

"Oh...I might have been able to guess," Lincoln smirked while Lucy turned her face away from him. Clyde looked between the two confused. Rolling his eyes, Lincoln patted Lucy on the back. "Really, I can't thank you two enough. If it weren't for you guys I'd probably be a smear of skin, clothes, and teeth pitted against the Burpin' Burger's walls."

"That would give you a wider variety of options when it comes to funeral containers I guess..." Lucy thought aloud. Lincoln took his hand away.

"So what now then?" Clyde asked trying to ignore the unsettling images that the brother and sister played through his head.

"Well we can probably think up somethin' to keep me hidden from here on out since we're gonna have to head home soon with how dark it's starting to get," Lincoln told him wrapping his arm around Lucy's neck, "Probably would be safest for you if you get to yours before you get even more wrapped up in this."

"Phew!" Clyde sighed wiping his brow, "Er, I mean, I don't wanna see ya get hurt or anything, but it really has been...testing the stress meter to deal with those two today."

"Dude, relax," Lincoln said bumping his fist against his chest, "Tell ya what, grab a Flippee. My treat."

"Seriously?"

"You guys have been hiding me ever since the school day ended. Of course," Lincoln laughed. Within minutes the trio had collected at the register, the building's attendant having settled on accepting the odd dollar he'd been studying.

"And here's a tip," Lincoln quipped flipping a quarter into the air, which Flip automatically caught.

"Much appreciated chief," he winked at the kid.

"I still can't believe you didn't pay for the chocolate," Lucy muttered under her breath, a wrapper already crumpled into a ball in her hand.

"Hey, I didn't offer Clyde anything more than the Flippee, why should you get special treatment over our guest?" Lincoln retorted with a smirk.

"Cause you're the one that suggested them," Lucy answered. Lincoln just shifted his eyes to the ceiling.

"You're welcome," he stated. His face flushed and he looked down to see the hand that had interlocked with his, Lucy's one still cold from the drink she had finished. Her face hung with an appreciative smile which Lincoln found himself wearing before too long himself.

"Uh...g-guys..." Clyde stuttered. The siblings looked at the boy that had stopped before the entrance in front of them. His finger seemed to be pointing at something outside. One view of the scenery beyond the door was all it took to dash their exuberance. Stomping down the sidewalk was a mess of pink clothing and crazy blond hair, her twin pacing a bit slower behind her.

"...what did you do to her?..." Lincoln asked through his dropped jaw.

"Nothing she didn't have comin' to her," Lucy said. Lincoln blinked at her uneasily. "...you're welcome," she added.

"W-what do we do n-now?" Clyde gulped. Lincoln and Lucy winced at each other. They weren't quite sure themselves. Something seemed amiss with the pair outside however. They were still a good few yards away and Lola seemed to keep turning back to yell something at Lana, the latter of which didn't seem as enthused as she previously had been. Clyde's eyes kept jumping about in their sockets, his mind thinking through actions that could be taken. In a rare moment of activeness, he settled on a plan. A spur of the moment idea. A Lincoln move.

"Alright, you see how Lola keeps turning to Lana?" Clyde pointed out. The two Louds within the store nodded. "Okay, one of these times when she turns to her I'm gonna run out there and run down the street. Hopefully when she turns back around she'll think you guys are with me and they'll follow..."

"WHAT?" Lincoln and Lucy exclaimed. "Clyde, you don't have to do this!" Lincoln tried to argue, "you got two fathers to go home to. You got a life left to live for. This is my mess to-"

"NOW!" Clyde yelled. Before he could be stopped, the boy charged out into the open and turned the corner at the end of the premise. Lana automatically spotted him, but didn't seem to keen on informing her partner, though Lola did in time turn to spot him as well once she realized her sister was looking at something.

"Oh ho ho!" she grinned getting the dodgeball ready, "Come on Lana! We got em now!" Almost reluctantly the more boyish of the two followed the pageant queen, but began to slow a bit when she got about a third of the way across Flip's parking lot. She didn't stop entirely, but she slowed enough for it to be noticeable while she sniffed the air. Curiously she peered at the doors of the store which Lucy and Lincoln pressed themselves against either side of the frame for within the establishment. Not wanting anything else to go amiss, Lola was more alert than ever and practically felt her twin fall from her side. Aggravated confusion turned to deduced delight as her eyes darted back and forth between Lana and the store, the knowledge of her sister's senses putting the pieces together. Clutching the dodgeball tight in her grip, Lola began to advance towards the entrance.

"H-hey! H-he's goin' th-that way!" Lana reminded pointing to Clyde's ever shrinking form in the distance.

"And he's not the one we're after," Lola grinned, "you simply must learn what a distraction is deary." Lana's expression strained as she watched her sister continue in her course, but figured she might as well follow. She'd come that far already, might as well see it through. Lincoln and Lucy meanwhile had been frantically scoping out locations to hide inside of the store.

"Hey, you kids gonna go or-"

"Here Flip! Whatever you do don't tell them what we're up to!" Lincoln pleaded throwing a five dollar bill onto the counter. With a snatch Flip pocketed it and shot him a finger-gun as he pulled Lucy around the corner of an aisle.

"You got it!" he replied, "Hey wait-this isn't some gang or somethin' that's gonna be causing a ruckus is it? Ol' Flip don't need any-" The bell of the door cut his voice short and his eyes widened as he got a look at the first girl that entered. It was another of Lincoln's sisters, one that he remembered a bit more than some of the others. And by comparison, he might have actually welcomed a gang. He contemplated giving a greeting but the vicious glower she sent his way saw to the end of that. He barely even noticed the more uncaring copy following behind her.

"Lana, find em," Lola ordered, snapping her fingers, "I'm gonna interrogate the local." Her sister shook her head as she headed down the aisles. Flip however took a step back as the more crazed tike hopped up onto his counter and pressed her face towards his.

"Local?...wait-you mean me?" he asked, "Now see here sister, Flip don't take no-"

"I ask the questions. You answer them. Got it?" Lola growled pulling his nose into her's by his collar. Flip gulped.

"L-look, I-I don't want no trouble..."

Some of the discussion was normal while other parts of it ranged from raised voices to flat-out yelling. No matter the material though, Lana was glad to be away from the middle of it. She may have been all for the hunt at the beginning of the day. Charged from a good night's sleep and taking part in an exciting mission, but given the hostility she'd had to work alongside for so long she'd honestly begun to tire from it all. Not to mention how her mind fought with her intent. Perhaps it'd been the talk with Clyde earlier, or perhaps she'd been thinking about it from the start, but the drive against their brother just wasn't as true for her as it was for her partner. Still, if it meant a quicker end to her twin's vitriol, what could she argue?

Her whole search was coming up cold though. While she had felt as though she could smell a Loud from the outside of the building, once they got in it had become harder. They felt like they were there, but various other smells were getting in the way. The roller grill's dogs, the sweetness of the Flippee machine, the air fresheners. All of it just crammed into one large room. In annoyance she grabbed some of the air fresheners on the spinning column next to her and threw them on the ground before stomping on to the next aisle. Once she'd departed Lucy and Lincoln popped their heads out of the top of it.

From their position they could see over the entire store. While Lana trudged through the aisles Lola's interrogation continued, a questioning so energized that not even Flip seemed to notice the older siblings. Everyone was distracted enough for them to escape. They just need a better placement for the leader of the duo. Lincoln looked at Lucy who moved her head around to see what they had to work with in the store. The nacho cheese machine...the Flippee machine...bottles of motor oil...candy...cups...CANDY! Lincoln tried to balance the structure they were in while Lucy's body rubbed against his in an indelicate wriggling. He was going to try to stop her when she suddenly pulled up her balled-up candy wrapper and grinned at him. Before Lincoln had time to figure out what she was doing, Lucy wound her arm back and took aim at the cups.

All eyes turned to the plastic drink-holders as they toppled off of the shelf and Lola charged over to them, dodgeball in hand. That was the opening they needed. With all attention on the fallen cups, Lincoln and Lucy dropped to the ground and raced to the door.

"Oh Lincoln!" Lola yelled. With a crunch she smashed one of the cups.

"HEY! That's company property!" Flip exclaimed.

"Ya hear that Lincoln?" she continued as the boy in question creaked the door open slowly enough so that the bell wouldn't be heard chiming, "It's company property! If you don't want to cause Flop here anymore grief you better...come...OUT!" With a crash she yanked a trashcan out from a panel that opened in the counter and knocked it to the ground.

"No! Stop!" Flip begged. Lincoln grimaced. He felt horrible leaving someone to such a fate. But then again...it was Flip.

"Come on Lincoln! This isn't like you! You ALWAYS help people!" Lola chided. Spotting the soda fountain, she lifted the dodgeball above her head and targeted it, Flip's cries lost on the child. Lola was right though. Lincoln DID help people. Scrunching her face, Lana stepped over to her sister and grabbed her arm. Lincoln had acted odd, but not with the current situation. Right now he was just trying to protect himself. No, when he had acted irregular was with the matter that had instigated this pursuit. And perhaps he had had his reasons for it.

"Lana?" Lola grunted trying to yank her arms back, "What are you-"

"They're heading to the house!" Flip cried. The twins blinked and looked at him. "They're trying to get away! They paid me off!"

"You son of a bitch!" they heard a boy's voice holler through the closing door. Lola looked at Lana and grinned, the shock of the moment loosening Lana's grip on her sister. Her prey within reach, Lola tore out the door with Lana following not too far after her.

* * *

With a strum of the fingers, the chords of the guitar vibrated out a strong rhythm. It wasn't followed by more plucks. Just a strong fading burst of noise. A start to an idea perhaps, or maybe just a hum of boredom. Something to fill the vacancy in the musician's ever-boisterous nature. Another strum sent Luna's head bobbing. Another bob sent another strum through the instrument. Over and over this repeated until a beat formed to perpetuate her bobs and strums within in a more consistent manner. Before long she was dancing her fingers along the strings, their tips plucking at each of them in a newfangled piece, one that only increased the bopping of her body to its tune.

"Oh I'm just a rockstar..." her voice echoed throughout the open garabe. Her middle and index fingers swept down the strings before pulling them to a snap, " A rocking rolling star in a rowdy loudy house!" Having decided on a proper sequence, she broke into a more frenzied jittering with her digits. "A rowdy rowdy house that wants to spit ya out! A loudy loudy house that-"

"Wants to kick ya out!" another voice cut in causing Luna's vibrations to wobble into a fade as she gritted her teeth and clenched her eyes shut from the interruption. Squinting her eyes she looked at the entrance of the garage and saw her roommate laughing. "Boy, we sure do amp up the chorus!" Luan continued, "Get it?" Rolling her eyes, Luna returned her attention to her instrument and started retuning it. Luan's face drooped slightly, though it didn't take long for it to sprout another bemused grin. "Don't twist those strings too tight! They might send dis"chord" through the audience!" she exclaimed before thrusting her arms to either side in a showman manner. This time she didn't even get an eyeroll. The sister before her just continued her tuning. Somewhat annoyed, Luan slouched forward. "You're no fun..." she murmured before walking off.

"Them's the breaks dude..." Luna murmured under her breath once she was out of earshot. Upon hearing the front door of the house shut she started up her rocking again. It took a few minutes to readjust to the renewed privacy, but around the third time of circling the chorus she found the right moment. "Oh I'm just a rockstar..." she started slowly. The shredding of the guitar never came however. Just as she was about to get into the more energized verse, two figures rushed into view. Out in the yard she spotted two of her younger siblings running towards the house, one with black hair and the other with white. She smiled for a moment but it changed to an expression of confusion quickly. They seemed worried, an emotion that only increased as Lucy tripped and fell. Lincoln stopped to try and help her back up but she seemed to be urging him to leave.

They both stopped moving when a dodgeball bounced into view which Lincoln barely avoided. It instead hit the wall of the house behind him and returned to its owner from there. Lincoln's face turned to fear as the pink-clad girl that had thrown it stumbled into view, her dress in tatters and the dodgeball held high above her head. Lincoln pressed himself against the wall and braced for impact while Lucy hopped to her feet and put herself between him and Lola spreading her arms out to either side of her body.

"You!" Luna heard Lola screech as she poked her head out of the garage to get a better look at what was going on, "YOU! You ruined my giraffe! Our tea parties are now going to have to be filled with stories of horror and Lucy-like descriptions from now on cause of the trauma you've caused him!" All Lola could see was blind fury from where she stood. Luna could feel that radiating off of her body, but with the reasoning for her clearly volatile actions spoken, Luna turned her attention towards the house and spotted Luan laughing at some lame joke she was telling to someone. The rockstar's brows furrowed as they returned to the young attacker.

"But no matter!" Lola laughed quietly, her eye twitching. Even Lucy had to take a step back from the insanity, "For this will all be resolved very shortly. Doesn't matter if you have Lucy or Clyde or fucking dad protecting you. Not when you're this close! Because you are right here! Now! In front of me! And you shall know my name is Lola when I lay may vengeance on-!" BAMP! Lucy and Lincoln jumped as Lola's face smashed into the ground and the dodgeball rolled harmlessly to the side. For a second they didn't know what had happened but soon their eyes noticed a figure that shared her features and height standing a few inches behind where she had been.

Lana's arms were suspiciously outstretched but her eyes were on another ball that had entered the scene. One of Lynn's soccer balls now rolled beside the house from where it had bounced off of Lola's head. The three looked towards the garage that it usually resided within to see Luna. The older Loud gave them a sign of "the horns" with her fingers and winked before vanishing back into the garage. With her gone, Lucy and Lincoln returned their attention to Lola's partner who gulped and chuckled at them nervously.

"...s-so...h-how ya...doin'?..." Lana stuttered.

* * *

"Oooohhhh...wh...what happened?..." Lola moaned putting a hand to her forehead. Rubbing it eased the aching, but her head still seemed to throb with a newfound pang. As the world came into view from where she lay she opened her mouth and thoughtlessly twisted her jaws around to work out the stings in their alignment. On top of the pulsing mouth and head her eyelids also required a bit of force to prop apart. From what she could make out however she was laying in the living room and, from the soft cushioning, her placement on the couch seemed rather obvious. But how had she gotten there? Why did her body hurt? Why was Lana looking down at her? Shouldn't they have been after Linoln?...

"LINCOLN!" Lola yelped springing into a sitting position before jerking to a stop and clutching her side, "Ugh! Gah!...guh...what the...why does...everything hurt?..."

"Woah, calm down there girl!" Lana tried to settle her twin down, "You took quite a fall..."

"Quite a...what? How? What happened?" Lola questioned through her pain.

"You don't remember?" Lana asked. Lola tried to shake her head in annoyance but the motions didn't last long before she cringed and slowed it to a stop. Once she'd managed to move it back into place her ears noticed something and she, reluctantly, forced her head to move again to face the words.

"Sob...Cry...Sob..." the black haired girl of the house said emotionlessly from where she stood holding her face in her hands at the other end of the couch.

"Well, ya had him right there and...well let's just say ya threw it a little too hard. Got him, but also fell forward when ya did it..." Lana sighed looking towards the floor.

"Oh...my...god..." Lola murmured putting her hands to her mouth, "Did I...kill him?" The assumption caused Lana to snap her startled face back to her.

"What!-...I mean eh-well..n-not kill but..." Lana tried to explain.

"Bruised skull, chipped fingernails, sprained arm, bruised ribs, and internal bleeding," Lucy interrupted. Both twins looked at her. Had Lola been more aware at the time she might have been skeptical over how readily Lucy had recited the list of injuries when she had apparently been mourning such anguish moments before, but as it stood it was just what Lola needed to hear.

"HA!" Lola laughed hopping to her feet. Immediately the sore legs gave way and caused her to topple off the couch cushions and onto the floor where she wobbled back to a standing position and dusted herself off. "-...wait...internal bleeding?" she asked, a rare quiver of worry in her voice. Lucy bit her lip.

"...uh...Lisa...took care of that," she told her.

"Oh, well in that case, HA! Serves that jerk right! See Lana! I told you it'd pay off if we just kept at it!" she declared in victory, "Now then, if you two will excuse me, I have some stuffed animals to report to. They've been waiting for this news all day!" The stuffy young girl began to walk towards the stairs but went a bit father down on one knee than expected causing her to limp the rest of the way. "Ow...ow...ow...ow..." As the reiterated sounds of pain faded up the stairwell, Lana eyed Lucy.

"Internal bleeding?" she murmured.

"I panicked," Lucy coughed and rubbed her arm, "Besides, had to make it sound convincing..." Lana rolled her eyes. She really should have expected such dramatization from the darkest person in the household, but still. "...thank you though..." the older girl said quietly.

"Huh? Oh uh...yeah..." Lana replied. This time she rubbed her arm. "I mean...I...I couldn't take both of you on myself or anything..." she tried to make up as her excuse. For a moment the two stood in silence.

"...well...I should probably go check to see that Lincoln hasn't given himself away..." Lucy said trying to break the awkwardness. As she got to the first step though a voice stopped her.

"Hey," Lana called. Lucy turned her head to her. It felt as though the younger sister was studying her. "...you...Lincoln...you...uh..." Lana's eyes swam around in their sockets trying to find the right words. Lucy meanwhile felt her body getting a bit itchy for some reason.

"What?"

"You...okay, why aren't you mad at him at all?" she finally came up with a proper enough sentence. Now the itchiness was pooling into a warmness at Lucy's face.

"W...why would I be?..." she murmured. Lana's brow lifted only furthering the sensations.

"Cause he...wrecked Edwin?" Lana reminded after some thought. She felt she knew the answer, but the aftereffects of the "pranks" weren't the answers she was truly after. Lucy however gave a...different response than the expected denial of Lincoln's guilt.

"I care about Edwin," Lucy told her turning back to face the stairs, "but...I...care about Lincoln...more..." That made Lana's other brow join the height of the first, her eyelids raising a bit to accompany them. By the time Lucy made it to the top of the stairs the other blond-haired munchkin was nowhere to be found, her pained body likely having retreated to her quarters once she'd made it to the top herself. Pressing an ear to Lola and Lana's door, Lucy quickly received confirmation of her suspicions from the clink of cups and hurried, if not strained, discussions from Lola to her "party guests" on the other side. Satisfied in the results, Lucy stepped over to Lincoln's door and, relieved to find that Lola hadn't tried to investigate further, opened it. The day's exhaustion must have taken its toll on her as well.

Lucy shut the door as quietly as possible and hovered over to the lump that lay on the bed before her. She almost wished she had the fangs that she would, inevitably, one day possess. The boy just lay there, fragile and delicate in the dim lighting of the lamp on his desk. Ready to be fed upon. She could feel the saliva building in her mouth as she thought of the puncturing of his skin and the swathing of his blood against her gums.

"...Lincoln..." she said quietly. The boy felt a ripple of irritation flush across his body from the sudden noise, but he had half expected it. A bit quicker than he instructed his body to, he got to his feet and stretched. Realizing his hastiness, he looked around to make sure no one smaller was also lurking somewhere in the room.

"So?..." he whispered, anxiousness on his lips.

"It went fine," Lucy told him with a smile, "she bought it. We don't have to worry about her anymore." She almost took a step back from how much his face lit up.

"Oh thank god!" he sighed smiling back at her. It felt like forever that they shared the moment of triumph, but in actuality it just took a few seconds for the sheer relief of the ordeal's end to overtake them. Along with their built-up exhaustion, it collapsed them into a heap on Lincoln's bed.

"Moan..." Lucy said from where her head had landed on his chest, "That was tiring..."

"You can say that again," Lincoln sighed. He blushed as he felt her head snuggle deeper against his body. The boy looked to one side of the room and then the other before tilting his head downwards to nuzzle her hair with his nose. Though he couldn't see it, Lucy's lips curled a bit from the touch. They didn't know how long they laid their in their drained state, but eventually a hiss a crackle sounded. After a few blinks, Lincoln realized where the noise was coming from and pulled out his walkie-talkie.

"Uh-John Dillinger here, over," he said into the speaking end.

"Lincoln!-er-John-...whatever! Dude! I just realized that Lola and Lana weren't following me! Are you-"

"Wait, you just NOW realized that?" Lincoln asked stupefied.

"Well yeah!" Clyde replied, "I just thought I'd gotten way ahead of them when I was taking my breaks, but I've been at my house for like ten minutes and they still haven't shown up yet!" Lincoln's face hung with dumbfoundedness.

"...well...yes...they found me..." he told him and heard a gasp through the device, "don't worry though...we...handled it...they aren't gonna be a problem anymore..."

"Oh! Awesome!" Clyde exclaimed.

"Yeah," Lincoln chuckled back, "I'm honestly surprised you're still up. You should really get some sleep after today..."

"Oh, I am WAY ahead of you on that," Clyde assured him, "Clincucy McLoud!" Feeling another blush, Lincoln looked down at the girl on top of him and ruffled her hair as he heard the walkie-talking click off.

"...Clincucy McLoud," he whispered to her. He waited for a response but only received the slow rise and fall of her body as she breathed. Focusing more he could make out some faint words on her breath.

"...snore...snore...snore..." Lucy repeated over and over. Lincoln almost laughed at the unconscious murmurings of the younger girl but forced himself to settle into a more relaxed rest. As her narration mixed with more natural sounds, Lincoln put a hand on the back of her head and stroked her hair.

"Sigh..." he said lowering his eyelids, "...final day..."

-end of chapter-

Feels like forever since I updated. Sorry, this time the interruption was actually from a show. As everyone knows Star vs. The Forces of Evil ended so I spent about two weeks working on a picture for it (it's on my warahi deviantart account) which got in the way of EVERYTHING that I normally work on. So...yeah, there's that. And I guess the fact that these chapters just seem to be getting longer and longer each time. Don't plan for that, but it just always seems to turn out that way.

But here we are! Final day of the week! What's gonna happen? Is Lucy gonna get the guy she's after? Is Lincoln going to sacrifice his well-being for somebody else again? Is Clyde gonna turn out to be a shape-shifting master of darkness? Find out next time on Forbidden Allure!


	8. It's Friday I'm In Love

Chapter 8: It's Friday I'm In Love

A girl with hair dark as the time night sky above saw gravestones for as far as the eye could allow. To the standard inhabitant of Royal Woods, or likely of any locale, it would have been a sight of unease or even sorrow, but for her it brought acceptance. Completeness. The final resting place for all, and a sanctuary in which one could bring themselves closer to that realm beyond the mere shell of the body. A viewership into the greater fate that they would one day become one with as so many before them had. This cemetery however blew with a breeze that she found comforting. Too comforting. If she had had any belief into the reality of the world around her, the change to a more ferocious wind alongside the shift in her thoughts dismissed those notions. She'd known it was a location of fantasy. A harmonic fantasy, but a fantasy none-the-less.

That wasn't to say Lucy was displeased however. Quite the opposite in fact. As with her previous visit to the mental mirage, the girl moved her hand out from her body and jerked it into the air allowing a rotted corpse to spring forth from the ground below. Smiling, she performed the action three more times and pressed her thoughts into the zombies' heads. Groaning, they turned to her, ripped a gravestone out of the ground, and lowered it in front of her. Once she had gotten on, the servants lifted the heavy piece of stone to their shoulders and started off towards what Lucy felt had been the center of the graveyard last time. From the height she sat at on her throne, it didn't take long for her to spot their destination off in the distance. A smile spread further across her face as the silhouettes of the upright coffin and its "keeper" became more defined.

Given the state of her aides, it took longer than one might deem acceptable to reach their end, but she didn't mind. She rather enjoyed the view of the hallowed landscape. And besides, had she willed it she could have just likely lifted herself into the air and flown right over to the vampire's side, she herself fully capable of their abilities and more within the fictional realm that she traversed. But that would ruin the full appreciation of the resting places which they passed, each soul-ridden province deserving of its acknowledgment. Somehow or another she knew she could take as long as she desired. The plane of dreams worked in a different manner than those within the land of consciousness, especially when it came to how time worked. Even so, the closer they got the quicker the zombies' pace seemed to progress until eventually they stood before the erect vampire and let their mistress to the ground in front of him.

"Edwin," Lucy bowed. The vampire returned the gesture with a nod and held out his arm to the coffin beside him. "Sigh," she said clasping her hands together as she took a step forward and smiled at the wooden box, "Tonight's the night. It's finally here...oh Edwin, if only you could accompany me. We could welcome him as the first of my undead consorts..." Out of the corner of her vision Lucy noticed Edwin's face drop a bit in dismay. She may have been curious as to the motive to the expression, but her desire for the boy she sought took precedence. Needing not to be told, Edwin's hand reached across the coffin lid.

As Lucy's eyes trailed upwards towards the limb however she noticed something. The coffin...it was...different than last time. Not by much, but it was noticeable to someone of her degree of expertise in the subject. It was as though it had begun to shift into another type of material for its composition. With the oddity of the coffin's design came a sense of anxiousness. Did she want it opened now? Was what had resided within it previously the same, or did something else now inhabit its hollow interior? Whatever the contents, she could feel madness building from the suspense. Lucy contemplated just flinging the entrance open herself, but managed to remain motionless until Edwin's arm had finished its seemingly eternal pull at which point she took a step back and nearly fell over.

The figure that lay before her was still that of a boy. One possibly matching the height of the one she had seen before her in the coffin on her previous visit. But he was different. Some of the features were the same, but others had been changed. And changed just enough that she could make out the presence of someone else entirely from the body. What had been silvery strands atop the round head were now white as snow. The shape of the hair itself wafted off of the head towards the back in three familiar protrusions. And the visible front tooth had a prominent chip in the center of it.

"...L...Lincoln?..." she mumbled. Taken aback by the reveal, Lucy stood there looking the body over. Occasionally she would take a step to the side or lean a bit, but would generally return to her previous perplexed positioning. Hoping for answers she looked to Edwin but he looked away, his face again hanging with dismay. "...what...what is this?" Lucy asked taking a step towards the unmoving boy. As she reached out to touch him his eyes snapped open as the previous occupant's had on her last visit. The same dead stare pierced into her's causing her to jump in surprise. This time however she did not turn from the startle. No instead the hop had landed her on a few unbalanced rocks and her feet were kicked out from under her causing her to fall forward right onto Lincoln's chest.

In a panic she tried to pull herself away, but found the task surprisingly hard. For some reason her limbs hung downwards with a newfound sleepiness, on top of which something seemed to be pressing her head towards the body she'd presumably landed on. Fighting off the burst of tiredness, Lucy twisted her head about to try and get it free from the loose clamp that pressed on it. She had been surprised at the prominence of a somewhat comforting smell. She recognized it from Lincoln's room, but given the state of his body in her fantasy she had not expected it to possess as much of a scent. Once she got her head free though she understood just why the aroma had filled her nostrils as much as it had and she blushed. In her franticness to free herself she had not taken the time to notice the rising and falling of the chest her face had been stuck to.

Looking up she could see Lincoln's slacked mouth hanging open as it drew in its sleep-filled breaths. Slowly trailing her eyes down his body, Lucy could see that he wasn't wearing what he had in the coffin. Orange shirt, blue pants. He was in his usual attire and they, she could now tell through the darkness that she'd gotten used to, were lying on his bed. Her first thoughts were to jump out of it and try to sneak out, but her body suggested otherwise and lowered her head back into a more restful stance on his chest. For minutes she lay there, listening to his breaths as they filled his lungs and pumped the blood through his veins. She smiled a bit each time a louder heart-beat sounded. Lucy couldn't tell if she fell asleep again or not. It felt like hours that she laid there enjoying the senses. Normally she raveled in the non-life of the world, but in those moments she found herself appreciating the energy of a body.

With her mind between sleep and consciousness she lifted herself up to crouch over the boy. As carefully as possible she reached out her hand and ran her fingers along his sleeping face, the touch not even rippling a reaction from him. He just continued breathing and eventually formed the mouth into a more happy expression, the face doing the same to Lucy's. She could feel a warmness dance across her's but she didn't mind. Not in those moments. Not under the cover of darkness where others would not seek. Not in the loneliness of the seclusion that she was so familiar with. But this...this wasn't familiar. Instead of the absolute sheer isolation there was now another. Someone to share in that endless nothingness. And that, for whatever fraction it did, brought some form of...comfort. Lucy laid down at his side and wrapped her arms around him while her face buried into his neck. His scent flowed through her nostrils now. Had she the choice, she might have stayed there like that forever.

In a way she felt regret. She had insisted so much on getting him to help her only for it to end up interrupted with each day. One of the other sisters might put the blame on him, but she was the one that had initiated the ordeal. And in spite of all the setbacks and delays, Lincoln never once tried backing out of it. Hell, it'd been a relief that he had even agreed to help to begin with. But he'd been there for her, even alongside his usual sacrifices he gave to try and help others. Taking in another breath of his scent, Lucy pushed her face along his cheek and peered over it at his. She knew the warmness painted her face crimson. She doubted it'd even gone away since the first instance she felt the blush. Yes, she felt regret...but she also felt something else. Happiness...ease...peace. He'd given her interaction that she rarely ever felt from others before. And for a whole week.

"Sigh..." she said quietly and squeezed her cheek tight against his, "...thank you..." The response she got made her stomach feel like someone had turned on a washing-machine inside it. The glow of her face never went away, but it had been fading somewhat until she felt his arm wrap around her waist and constrict her body against his. His own face perpetuated the same oblivious unconscious intakes of air he had had before. Her teeth clenching in her hesitant lips, Lucy placed one of her hands on the shoulder opposite of where she lay to return the gesture and rubbed her cheek against his. She didn't know if she could ever thank him enough for his part in her conflict, but she would be forever grateful.

For however pleasant the restful recompense felt however, it would have to end. Another rub against his cheek was enough to stir something in Lincoln's face. Nervously Lucy lifted away from him and watched as the muscles of his head pulsed and tightened. She held her breath for a good ten seconds before the tense movement died down and he returned to a more relaxed sleep. It took even more seconds, maybe even minutes, for Lucy to pull out of his loosening grip and inch back a bit. That had been close. She was sure that Lincoln wouldn't chastise her much for the embrace. After all, they'd both fallen asleep there. But it would probably have been best to save him the embarrassment of waking up to such...affection. If nothing else, he wouldn't have to deal with another of the startles she gave to those around her.

Quietly, she swam over to the bottom of the bed and flung her feet out to the ground. She took another look at her brother and smiled at his adorable curled-up body. A look to his side however dropped the expression. On the clock next to him glowed the current time. And it was time that she couldn't spare. According to it, the family would be up and about to start their morning routines in around half-an-hour. For Friday. The final day of the school-week. And the final day for their operation. Figuring it best to remain as inconspicuous as she could to the rest of the family, Lucy got to her feet and grabbed her backpack. She stopped at the door though to look back at Lincoln. After glancing to her own room through the crack, she turned back and skipped over to the boy. Gently she wrapped her arms around his head and nuzzled her face into his hair taking in his smell one last time.

She wished she could have stayed, she truly did. It was just so...intoxicating. The feeling of having someone there...with...with her... But there was work to be done, and she couldn't afford to screw things up so late into the agenda. Besides, when it was all said and done, she would have someone. That was the whole point of what they were doing. That night she would finally be acquainted with the one that would satiate her. The round-faced boy with light hair. Absent-mindedly her hand trailed along Lincoln's jawline in thought. The way he'd stood there seeking out a companion. Oh how it prodded at her unbeating heart. That figure of isolated want. It beckoned those of similar lonesomeness.

"Sigh..." Lucy said as she rubbed her cheek atop her brother's head, "just a little bit longer..."

"But we've been...waiting for...hours...Lucy..." Lincoln's unexpected voice caused her to jerk her head into the air and look down at him. Worry turned to relief as she viewed his still sleep-induced state. "We can...try summoning zombies...some other time..." he snored. Lucy smiled and tilted her head down against the strands covering his one.

"Oh dear brother..." she said quietly, "though you traverse the dreamscape and your senses are far removed from our own world, I hope that...somehow...some...way...you know...how much this means to me...how much you...mean to me..." Only receiving a head wobble and another snore from him, Lucy grinned and backed away from the bed. It was a bit hard to break vision with his sprawled figure, but eventually she did and found herself in the dim hallway of the Loud House's upstairs. Slowly and quietly she closed his door and began making her way towards her and Lynn's room. Just as she reached for the handle to their door however she stopped and looked down the hallway to the door opposite of Lincoln's. The bathroom. The holy sanctuary of the household. It...was open...and empty...and there was at least twenty-five more minutes before the rest of the family was up and about. Not even needing to think about the decision, Lucy hopped on over to the tiled chamber and began her preparations early.

* * *

In a half-blackened room a tuft of brown hair turned beneath its covers, the sheets pulling back from the limbs beneath it in the process. Carelessly the exposed girl's tongue hung out of her mouth while her throat filled with saliva and choked it down in a discomforted snort before continuing the previous bought of snoring. Even had she been awake she wouldn't have given much more structure to her position. Given her age and her interests, Lynn Jr. gave very little attention to her decorum. While most girls her age were contemplating the latest boy of interest, she was more focused on beating those boys...and those girls. Proving just how much better she was at it all. It's who she was. The dominant one. The star player. That whom everyone else should look up to. Should see as the example to aspire to.

Maybe that's why she'd been so confounded by Lucy's actions the other day. Lincoln had asked to see her and Lynn had crushed his foot in the door for what he'd done to them. But Lucy? She went to him. Willingly. And Lynn could have almost sworn she felt some...animosity towards her own actions when her roommate had parted. There hadn't been much activity the following day, but she definitely noticed the absence of the black-haired girl in the evening hours. She'd given a quick little scope around the house, mainly out of curiosity. She'd assumed Lucy had just decided to stole away in the vents or attic or something when she finally stumbled upon a bit of a surprising scene. Though still not caring to see Lincoln, she did make sure to check his room. For whatever reason, Lucy had been clinging to his sleeping form and had been fast asleep herself.

Lynn wasn't sure what was with the goth. She knew that Lucy cared about him more than some of the other sisters pretty often. It may have been hard for the less acquainted to tell, but Lynn literally lived with her. She knew how to tell the signs, as much as Lucy might not have wanted her to be able to. And the signs usually pointed to her having more worry for Lincoln than the typical resident whenever he got into his mishaps. She might have participated in the collective riling against him when offense was on display, but by and large she either showed more of an indifference towards his more reprimandable actions or hid her concern for him beneath them.

But why was she choosing now to be so defending of him? All that Lynn had done was slam his foot in the door. That was nothing compared to some of the pain she put him through normally. And those instances were WITHOUT the intent of vengeance. But the door-slam? That had been simply what Lincoln had deserved for the little stunts he'd pulled with Lisa's Help-...Butler-...Assist-...the little stunts he'd pulled with Lisa's robot. Lucy herself had been a victim. EDWIN had been defaced. That was cause for possibly a flat-out beating from her. But instead she hugged the culprit in her sleep? What the hell? Her actions made no sense. Coughing on some saliva, Lynn rolled onto her side and faced the wall.

Lynn had to admit, sometimes they were a bit hard on the brother of the family, but he was used to it. And aside from that, he'd brought the misery on himself. Why then didn't Lucy approve of her stance? How could she just forgive him for the ruination of her "vampire love"? There was no way she cared about Lincoln so much that it over-rid the preservation of her favorite bust...was there? No...no there had to be something more to it...but what? Maybe...maybe she just needed a reminder of what he'd done. Hearing a creak, Lynn's body tensed up. Had she been another sister she might not have noticed the near unaffecting footsteps that paced towards the other bed of the room once the door shut. Someone had certainly gotten back late. She could just barely hear the soft rustle of sheets from the bed behind her back. Lynn saw little reason for Lucy to lay down with how close it must have been to the time to get up.

Sure enough, within a few minutes at most, her alarm clock sounded joining the others of the rooms surrounding their's. With a stretch, Lynn let out a yawn and threw away the covers. Peeking to her side she watched the younger girl of the room practically raise into a sitting position from where she'd laid down as if she'd been in a lifting recliner chair. Lynn rolled her eyes. There seemed to be nothing her sister could do without dramatics involved. After hopping to the ground, Lynn did some morning stretches and jogged in place a bit while Lucy pulled her backpack onto her bed and pretended to arrange some items for the school day. Once she felt she'd wasted enough time with the imaginary preparations, Lucy reached beneath her bed and pulled her favorite wax-lipped companion out which Lynn instantly took notice of.

"Well, looks like Mr. Freak-Fangs is back in shape," Lynn commented as she walked towards the door, "LINCOLN really did a number on him huh?"

"Yes Edwin is certainly in better "spirits"," Lucy agreed as she beamed at her object of adoration happily. Lynn cocked a brow with the emptiness that came afterwards. No reply towards the one that had done the damage. She seemed to take no notice of the accusation. Scrunching up her face, Lynn shook her head and decided to take her exit in the wake of Lucy's ignorance. She really wished she could figure the girl out. Lucy however, with her roommate now gone, opened one of the pockets of her bag and pulled out a slightly wrinkled piece of paper. On it was drawn a familiar figure. A boy with a round head, a chipped tooth, and white hair wearing clothing more fit for a vampire than himself. Finally having time to think, Lucy wound her mind back towards the more mental experiences of the night. The graveyard. The coffin. The boy.

Why?...why had Lincoln been there that time? In the previous instance it had been the boy from Goth Mic Night. The object of her desires. That had been quite clear. Where had he gone? And...why? In his place had laid her brother. Sure they had...similarities now that she thought about it, but that was no reason for them to be interchangeable. Even Edwin had shown his own signs of discomfort towards the contents of the coffin. As if he viewed Lincoln in the same competition of affection as the boy from Goth Mic Night. Thinking back over the previous day, Lucy blushed when she remembered a moment towards the end.

"...he's my brother. What did you expect me to say to her?" she asked as she picked the bust up. That must have been what it'd been about. A bought of Edwin's jealously working its way into her subconscious. The statue just stared back her. "You know you're my eternal dark flower Edwin. But Lincoln's...family. I had to say something to Lana."

"Say what to who?" a voice asked. Moving so fast her arms were a blur, Lucy pulled Lincoln's vampire picture out of sight and jerked her head over to see him standing in the doorway. Grinning he tapped the wood of the frame with his knuckles. "Knock knock," he joked before strolling over to the side of her bed. Lucy tilted her head down. If it truly had been just an excuse, why did she feel the need to hide the redness dancing across her cheeks? It probably was just due to having been almost "caught" discussing him right then. Not to mention seeing him for the first time since their...nap. Lucy's cheeks felt like they were going to explode when she remembered just what she'd done shortly after her waking. THAT was what she was so nervous about. That had to be it. She tried to turn her mind to more calming things, but as Lincoln approached, the vivid memories of the touch of his skin against her's made sure her complexion remained as it was. Picking up a whiff of his smell in the midst of her reminiscence only served to make her coloring even more unbearable. By the time he'd sat down next to her, Lucy was pushing air in and out of her nostrils to try and regain her composure.

"Luce?...you okay?...what's wrong?" Lincoln asked having noticed her downturned silence.

"Nothing!" she responded suddenly, her face turning up to him with a forced toothy smile. Lincoln scooted back a few centimeters from the surprise. It hadn't just been the swift motion of her head, but also the state of her face. The clenched teeth. The fading hue.

"Um...okay uh...y-you sure?"

"Yes."

The two sat there staring at each other for a moment until Lucy, unable to view anymore, turned her head to the other side to relieve her tense expression. Lincoln turned his eyes around the room looking for something to speak about but found very little.

"Wait..." Lucy murmured, "why aren't you in the bathroom?"

"First one in there today!" Lincoln winked. Then he paused and gave her a suspicious glance. "...why weren't you there?..."

"Oh um..FIRST first one in there," she smiled. Lincoln thought about the wording for a second and grinned.

"Lucky."

"Just got the experience," Lucy boasted, "when that's the only place you can read your comics in the dim hours you have better instincts for when to avoid people in there." Lincoln rubbed his chin and nodded his grin at her causing her to blush from the admiration. His eyes turned towards the light at the top of the room where rectangular shadows rested beyond its casing causing Lucy's blush to deepen. "Anyhow, I doubt you just came in here to get recommendations about Princess Pony..." she murmured, her voice becoming quieter as it got towards the end of the sentence so as to better keep the secrecy of the subject. Smiling his own blush, he rubbed his arm.

"Well I was just, ya know...stoppin' by to...check on ya?" he murmured back, "just...well okay. It's the final day. How's this all gonna go?" Lucy's head popped up from the reminder. She'd been so lost in her memories and deductions that the urgency had begun to slip her mind.

"Um, well...we...I was thinking we'd do a quick overview session and maybe see about getting some clothes for you when we get back. Shouldn't be too hard to get those," Lucy said, a finger on her mouth in thought.

"Oh way ahead of you there," Lincoln winked. Lucy looked at him curiously.

"Um...no offense Lincoln, but I don't think the orange shirt is gonna cut it..." she told him. Lincoln just laughed and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not Leni Lucy. I know how to dress for this. Don't worry, I got it," he assured her. Lucy inched her face into a half-turn to diminish her view of his. The memories of her waking moments were still lingering in her head and his half-eye-lidded smirk was only coaxing them.

"And the poetry. Should probably have you come up with a few poems beforehand. Just-...just in case ya gotta interact with people more than I'd expect..." Lucy figured. She returned her gaze to Lincoln when she heard him clear his throat and he gave her a confident look.

"The paleness of the skin doth shine

In the darkness o' er divine

For in the land of graves and lour

Doth she seek thy final hour"

Though she was more prepared for the rhyming than she had been at Flip's the day before, Lucy still took a moment to fully register the sentences. Once she had, she whipped her face away and ran her hands along her mouth and the bridge of her nose, her thumbs and fingers cradling her flaming cheeks. He was not making the meeting an easy one. Lincoln however was quite pleased by the supposed reaction of flattery and grinned to himself.

"Okay...okay...may-maybe you're...FINE in that area..." Lucy murmured, her digits still massaging her features.

"The end of life

In the hours of strife-"

Lincoln's voice cut to a stop as Lucy's hand unexpectedly clamped over it. She could feel the corners of his mouth spread wider and curl under her grip from the view he had of what he could see of her light-pink face.

"Y-y-you're fine...for now..." she coughed taking her hand back and looking towards the ground, "Y-...you should...save what material you have for the event..."

"Oh don't worry, I just came up with that one right now," Lincoln laughed. Lucy's mouth opened a bit. He'd JUST thought that up? "Here, see? Oh girl of sorrow, frequenter of-"

"NO!" Lucy yelped causing Lincoln to jump. She clamped her teeth together nervously. "Yueii-I mean...y-you d-don't do this often...you can...run out of material faster than you think...just...JUST save it for the event for now. W-we can't afford to potentially waste the talent beforehand..."

"Huh...well, alright..." Lincoln shrugged. In her mind Lucy breathed a rather large sigh of relief. She didn't know why she had become so uncomfortable. They were just sentences. Artistic sentences...some...probably about her...but still...just sentences. Figuring Lucy just wasn't used to such attention, Lincoln turned his focus to one last curiosity. "And...the date?" he asked. Lucy's body stood on end from the word.

"The...what?" she murmured.

"You know...me...you...us...is there any way I should like act around you at the thing or-"

"We can cover that later!" Lucy stated flatly. THAT was an inquiry she did NOT need at the moment. Lincoln backed his head away as Lucy's came closer to his, her mouth a flat-line stretched from one end of her face to the other.

"-o-...okay..." he gulped, not sure if she was going to try to eat him or just stare him to death. Either way, the face did not show signs of encouraging his questions. "I...Imma...j-just gonna...get ready for school then..." Lincoln stuttered as he got off the bed and backed towards the door. Feeling a twinge of guilt, Lucy's face slumped into a more sympathetic form.

"...Lincoln wait," she said as he got to the door. Warily, the boy looked back at her. "I...I just have a lot to think about today is...is all. Sorry if I seem um...uh..." Realizing the apparent cause of her anxiousness, Lincoln's worry diminished and he smiled at her.

"Hey, it's fine," he told her, "I know how it is. Schemes can get ya a bit panicked sometimes. But don't worry. I'll be here with ya." Tilting her head a bit, Lucy felt a small smile on her lips. "You just make sure YOU are ready for tonight," Lincoln said. Lucy nodded.

"Same to you..." she replied. With a wink Lincoln ducked into the hall where Lucy heard him yelp in pain a few seconds later when she turned to Edwin to bring back out the picture she'd made of Lincoln. As he stumbled back to his room clutching his arm, she reached under her bed and pulled out a box. Within it rested other drawings that she'd done. One of her in a bridal gown that she hung up on the poster of Edwin next to her bed every so often, one of Rocky, some of her sisters or friends, and one of Silas. Carefully she laid Lincoln's down on top of the others and closed the box back up. She could cut it out later.

"...I am ready..." Lucy murmured to Edwin as Lynn walked in punching the palm of her hand happily, "...I am..."

* * *

The final day of the week. The day that all children waited for and elated within. Friday. The excitement and anticipation would build up each week to that long-sought moment when the final bell would ring and release the youth upon the world for a full two and a half days to indulge in their workings. Their plans. Their schemes. Their agendas. All of it broke free at that instant. It was akin to every other day's release from their educational prison except amplified to an untold degree. The sheer excitement of their internal jubilation could not be matched by much else in that fragment of time. Their desire to be unshackled and let loose into their scheduled free-time activities left little to compete with it.

For a young goth however, her own plans had seeped into her time at the school. Most of the morning had passed without issue, but, due to predetermined dealings, she found herself holed up in a more staff-used chamber that she'd been scheduled to use rather than a classroom for a majority of the time. Her visible eye forever half-closed, Haiku looked over a rather large piece of paper. Carefully she read through each letter on it checking for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Though it'd been checked by the rest of her peers in their after-school sessions, she felt she had better give it once last look-through. Once the words had been read, her view slid down to the image below decorating the parchment. Though the boy and girl portrayed on it likely were filled with insurmountable joy at their union, their placement in the emotionless community stilled their faces with delighted frowns. Haiku could feel her own lips twitch slightly at the picture.

Inwardly she sighed as she laid a large blank piece of paper down on the machine in front of her. Up above was the same image that she'd been looking at, but displayed in reverse on a raised material that'd been wettened with ink. With a stern grip, she grabbed the panel that it was attached to by a handle at its side and pulled it down. After a few seconds she lifted it back up and the panel left the paper that it'd been stamped onto with a suctiony noise. The smell of fresh-pressed ink in the air, she lifted the first of the reproductions up to look it over. Seeing little in the way of mishaps, she nodded and set it down next to the original picture they'd made the stamp from.

Even as she reached for the next paper to press however, she could feel the nagging absence of a certain flair to the image that she'd taken on the task of copying. While it was true that the poster "got the point across", she knew that if The Morticians Club had had the full "team" to work with that week that they'd have probably gotten an even better presentation for the piece. She didn't want to knock any of the other members' work, but they all knew that one of the youngest members held promise in more than just poetry. She may not have been an Advanced Placement student, but Lucy Loud could elicit some surprise with the doodles she could make sometimes. If that potential had been at their disposal to harness for the advertisements, there was no doubt in the taller girl's mind that the piece would have turned out that much better.

Lucy however had apparently been busy for the duration of the week. With what? She had no idea, but it must have been important to make her skip out on The Morticians Club. A schlocking noise sucked from the latest print as Haiku lifted the press back up. She couldn't blame the shorter girl of course. They all had their own lives to deal with. But with such an important event coming up it felt quite...odd to not have Lucy joining in on the near-guaranteed arrangements that would enrapture their group as it neared. Still, it's not like she wouldn't be seeing Lucy again, even if her own time on that current Friday was mostly being taken up by the tasks that The Morticians Club had decided on. She was sure she'd bump into the shorter girl sooner or later, be it that week or the following one.

Wordlessly she slid the next piece of paper onto the press and pulled the panel lathered in ink down.

* * *

As the day wound on, the children of Royal Woods Elementary School grew more and more expectant of that ever desired chiming. The noise that would mark the end of their school-week and the beginning of their own personal lives for the time they were allowed until they had to return. That's what Clyde thought about. That's what Girl Jordan thought about. That's what Lana thought about. That's what Lola thought about. That's...not what Lucy thought about. And in his mind, Lincoln also partially joined the black-haired sister's concerns, though he at least made room for the excitement of the freedom they were growing ever closer towards.

The day itself had been nothing unpleasant. Just a standard school-day as with most others. Hardly any complications, especially with how the teachers too looked forward to their own release. The fifth grade class had had one specific project, and a rather fun one at that. Creating their own comics. Given the amount of time they'd had they'd turned out relatively basic in design, though no one had to look at Clyde and Lincoln's to know what their's would be a tribute to. Zach's had been about aliens and Girl Jordan's about how awesome she was, much to the chagrin of anyone that'd ever been on the receiving end of her assaults in gym.

Lola had mostly spent the time amidst her lower-grade peers checking herself in her fold-up pocket mirror, making sure to touch up on any spots that required blush and powder anytime she found them. Normally her twin would be found trying to communicate with some insects or playing with her favorite frog that she occasionally snuck into the classroom, but on that day Lana had been a bit more...thoughtful. Ever since the night prior she'd been trying to cobble together solutions in her head, a process that was not her strong suit. But still, the nagging oddities of certain members of the household in the past week was too much to simply sit still with. The "pranks" of Lincoln, his defense by Clyde and Lucy, and Lincoln and Lucy in general. Her mind always seemed to fall back to them. There was just something...off about them. Lucy hanging out with anyone was an oddity in and of itself, but her company with Lincoln...it'd been unusually constant.

The Goth herself had coasted through the majority of her day in even deeper thought. Her's however was of a more anxious nature. It'd been filled with her wonderings of the future. More specifically the future of that very day. At first she couldn't bring herself to even properly formulate the ideas. The perceived effort had been too great. It was true that she and her accomplice had spent the entire week preparing, but now that they day had actually arrived, now that it was at her doorstep, the building suspense was almost too much too bear. As the day had drawn on Lucy had found it harder to breathe when she'd taken the time to attempt stabs at the issue. But there was no stopping the approach. That was the reminder that had finally got her mind going.

While her teacher droned on about whatever the lessons were that day, Lucy's consciousness had been hard at work going through the intricacies of her schemes. It wouldn't be too terribly long that they'd have after school to prepare, just a few hours. And they couldn't be too late either. Lucy had been sure to staple that notice into her head. No books. She had to remain focused. It might not cause a disaster to get there a smidge after it'd started, but every second counted with the importance of such an operation. Every moment another was possibly wasted in their efforts to obtain the person that she had been seeking for the past days.

It was in these thoughts that Lucy had again found herself doodling. She hadn't paid attention too hard, but her hands knew what they were crafting. Across the spare sheet of paper she'd procured, the graphite laid down images of figures. Just vague blocky shapes to imply the presence of a crowd, and within them a more defined image. A boy with a round head and blackened eyes. Oh how she'd longed for him. Above the mass of people she'd started on some lines for a poem, but became lost on the writing as her thinking progressed. Initially she'd contemplated dressing in a more eye-catching fashion. Perhaps something with skulls or batwings hanging from it, but it felt to be too much to her. That'd just show desperation. The pencil had nearly finished her own figure a few feet from where the round-headed boy stood in the drawing, a frown adorning her delighted face.

Poetry, clothing, even the way to approach her target had been a frazzled mess in her head. Glancing up at the unfinished poem again, a twinge of annoyance and jealously flashed through her. The final figure on the picture would have had no trouble. None at all. This was his forte. Plans. Lincoln would have had everything all figured out in a matter of minutes. It might not have been an orchestration that'd work, but he'd at least have something, AND he'd be confident in it. Lucy on the other hand? She felt like she was trying to swim in quicksand with her ideas, her body sinking in the overwhelming notions of failure. But Lincoln? He'd tackle the problem with a grin. Hell, he'd come up his own poems that morning without even trying! Lucy's hand wobbled from the pressure it had started to push on the pencil with.

Bringing the writing utensil to a stop before it bore a hole in the paper, Lucy took in a breath and steadied her nerves. With the hand more manageable now, it continued its course in the sketching of her brother. There was no reason for anger. Not towards him. Not when he sacrificed his time and effort to assist her. Not when he sacrificed all that he did for the rest of the family. No. Not towards him. He didn't deserve that. He never deserved that. Lucy's frown actually began to reverse as she doodled a half-lidded blank expression onto his face. She had no ill will towards him. It was just the worry taking hold. Her failing expectations towards herself. But as she drew the fingers of his hand that were closest to her, she felt those expectations become less suffocating. Tightly she intertwined his with her's.

The reason he was better at things was due to his age and experience. She would one day be at his level. At least she hoped. His expertise in poetry was a challenge to aspire to if nothing else, but it wasn't something to spite. He would be there for her. He always had been. She may have been questioning towards what he might have had in mind for clothing that night, but she trusted him, and she knew that she could always rely on him. Always. And if he wasn't capable enough, she'd be there to help him out as well. In the frequency of their outcasted nature from the rest, they always had each other. And they always would. Lucy had been rather unsure about her state in helping to get him ready once they got home, let alone herself, after the...affection she'd given him that morning.

She didn't know why it'd bothered her so much, but with how many hours had passed it'd become a distant memory in the presence of the imposing event. One that lit up her face still, but one that she could ignore enough to manage things. She just appreciated him, more than he could know. How he helped her. What he gave up for others. It was admirable. He could be selfish in his own ways, but who in the family wasn't? Well...maybe Leni, but Lucy had to question if she even counted as a person at times with how empty her head seemed to be. With Lincoln he had more of a brain and a more...relateable personality with how he could get annoyed by people ignoring his more sensible knowledge. She certainly knew that feeling. Plus, he wasn't afraid to venture out into the unknown, be it racing across town by horse or searching for ghosts in a graveyard. Lucy bit the inside of her lips as her pencil moved to the center of the picture. She could see why Ronnie Anne liked him.

And now with his help she was going to finally nab her own parnter. The boy with the round head. Her eyes drifted towards his image while her hand worked. Her heart fluttering, she sighed. What untold calamities laid within his unspoken soul? What unquenched desires of lust and unrequited companionship? Lucy's hand trembled as it etched a shape into the center of the piece between her side and the boy's. Looking to her's, she figured her feelings would morph into lonesomeness, but looking at the figure she'd drawn next to her they remained almost the same as when she'd viewed the boy. Smiling, she finished the heart in the center of the page. With Lincoln at her side he relieved even her devastating isolation.

She added a few drops of blood to the simplistic icon of love at the middle of the page before jerking her head up alongside everyone else in the room, the teacher included. It'd sounded. The loud chiming BRINGG! echoed through everyone's ears. And for a moment there was nothing. No movement. No sound. Not even the reverberations in the air. And then it was undone.

* * *

Wilbur Huggins walked the halls of the school. As the principal of the establishment it was his duty to ensure that everything was as it should be. Every student accounted for, every teacher in their positions of education, and every book on its shelf. Even the cafeteria's tater tots needed testing. Though he had had a few after their initial frying, he'd been sure to save a batch for later on, which he was now enjoying in his latest survey of the classrooms, the final round to make before the departure of his staff and their youthful charges. Once they were released unto the world all that would be left would be a few conversations with some of the remaining staff and then locking up the necessary doors to ensure the preservation of the school's equipment until the following week. Then he himself would be free to relax in his own abode and enjoy some well-deserved reading material. He couldn't wait to read the latest issue of Ace Savvy.

He was not the only one itching to get home however. In the distance he heard it. At first he had thought his ears were faltering. Perhaps there'd been some sort of odd frequency in the air or some such nonsense. But as the seconds wore on the foreboding noise only got louder and louder. Before too long it sounded as though it were rushing towards him through the halls, like a thundering distant avalanche. That was when he jumped and looked down at his watch. He hadn't even thought of how late it must have been. The tater tots had been so good that he'd completely ignored the final bell of the day, but sure enough the feared time flashed back at him and he felt the color drain from his face.

Had he been in his office or some classroom or even the janitor's closet it would have been just fine. But he was in the hall. No door to hide behind. No shield. Nothing. Completely vulnerable. Desperately he spun around looking for something, ANYTHING, to take shelter with. Even a locker. Despite his vain attempts though, he could hear them, and before long see them, charging as they rounded the bend at the end of the hall. With a gulp he braced for the tide of bodies and let out a cry as they knocked him off his feet in their race. Principal Huggins' mind became filled with flashes of memories from the previous times he'd been unfortunate enough to be caught in the current of youth. Once left to stumble back to his office with shoe-prints in the back of his coat, another crammed into a long-forgotten space between the art-room and computer-lab. This time he could only watch as his beloved tater tots were scattered into the air beyond him and his body was carried away by the rushing children that had flowed beneath him.

The tater tots did not go unclaimed though. With a jump, a white-haired boy snatched some from their fall and continued on in the clamor to escape the confines of their children's weekly prison. Popping one into his mouth, he pushed his way past Liam.

"Go Lincoln! You're farther ahead than you've been for the last month!" Clyde cheered from further back, he himself having been dragged down by a few of their lagging peers. Popping a tater tot into his mouth, Lincoln climbed over Chandler and hit the ground in front of him running, curses on the other boy's tongue. Salt and starch filled Lincoln's mouth as he came up on a girl and tried to shove past her only to receive a bump back. His food almost got caught in his throat when he realized who his competition was. Shooting a disgruntled face back at her, Lincoln mustered up a surge of force and pushed as hard as he could against Girl Jordan, her own body refusing the budge. He wouldn't be able to hold out against her for long.

But her attention was fixed on him, and looking ahead he could see what she was ignoring. If her eyes stayed on him it would only be a matter of seconds before she was no longer an issue. Looking back at her, his scowl turned into a grin. Girl Jordan's own one turned to that of confusion before she realized why one would be so confident in the situation and turned her head frontwards. For her though it'd been a fraction too late as Lincoln no longer needed to push by the time she did so. Breaking off just as they got to the open locker in front of them, Lincoln raced onwards leaving her to slam straight into the door of the childhood storage space and stumble back into an irrecoverable position.

"Fuck you too!" he heard her holler over the crowd widening his grin. With a swallow of the tater tot he'd been chewing, Lincoln rounded the final corner. His eyes widened. In the distance it shone at him. The exit. The passage into sheer incomprehensible freedom. The gateway to the weekend. And he was so far ahead of his entire class! But not ahead of all the others. Looking to either side, Lincoln saw the floods of other grades converging into the central hall to the exit, and at their own leads were familiar faces. Now the real battle began. Despite his lead on the rest of his age-group, the other Louds seemed to have gotten just as lucky as him that day. He was able to charge ahead for a moment as Lola and Lana attempted to push him to the side, but that only put him between them as his legs slowed back down after the burst of speed. They grinned in their attempt to disorientate him by smashing him between their bodies.

Lincoln would not have lasted too long in that pressure, but to his fortune help came. Lola spun out of control and went careening off the wall she hit back into the crowd from the elbow of an older girl that'd entered the fray. Lincoln grinned for a moment before he too was met with an attempted strike which brought his mind back into the situation. Dodging the next pale fist that struck, Lincoln made his own swipe at Lucy who ducked as she ran. For what could have only been two seconds, the two older Louds battled their way to the doors until the remaining blond girl leapt onto their heads and began hitting their skulls together beneath her. Lincoln and Lucy could feel their eyes swirling in their sockets and, in an unspoken alliance, sent their fists sailing up into Lana's stomach which knocked her back into the tidal wave behind them.

Their pursuers dealt with, the brother and sister were free to continue their duel even out into the parking-lot. Lincoln however had one key advantage. His legs. Due to their length, he was able to ultimately cover enough ground so that Lucy's jabs and kicks weren't even a problem anymore and he hopped into the bus ahead to claim his victory.

"Oh yeah! Uh huh! Lincoln rules! Loud one!...other...Louds zero!" he sang to himself as he danced in place next to the driver's seat of the vehicle. It didn't take long for the rest of the school to catch up though and he realized the misplacement of his victory dance as they quickly congregated into the door of the transport, the second-place champion right at the front ready to "greet" him. Clenching his teeth, Lincoln put his arms out in front of him to brace for whatever assault was to come, but instead he felt something pull him. As Lucy rushed in, she grabbed the hands and guided the boy into the corridor between the seats of the bus. For a few spins they twirled in place, Lincoln surprised to see the happy expression on the loser's face, before they slowed into a break from the spirals and bounced towards one of the farther seats. The air hissed out of the cushions as they plopped down and slumped into an exhausted rest against each other, their breath ragged.

For a few minutes they just sat there as the other children that lived near their street filed into the bus. Their elbows slouched into each other's sides as their chests lifted and fell. It had been quite the battle for the position of victory and it'd left them pretty worn. Though Lincoln payed little heed to the movement in his recovering state, Lucy collected up some of the strength she'd gotten back and pressed her face more into his lower neck to have a place to rest it better. The pair sprouted bemused expressions as the two younger blond-haired Louds passed their seats. Scowling and in tatters, Lola shot her middle finger at them, an action that her twin joined her in, though her look was more suspicious towards the two older ones. Lana felt a light shudder crawl across her skin as Lucy and Lincoln grinned back at the them.

"I...gotta hand it...to ya...I really was staring to...to worry about getting here first..." Lincoln told Lucy between breaths once Lana and Lola had disappeared to their own seats. He felt a sound of recognition vibrate from her throat which spread a bit of warmth across his face. He hadn't realized the positioning of her head until she'd made the noise. Not that there was much he could do to change the placement in his drained state. And her head did give a bit of a comforting warmth that he'd honestly have reluctance in rebuking.

"Don't sell yourself short..." she told him, "that was some dance we were doin'. You might actually have what it takes to hunt vampires..." Lincoln chuckled as Lucy playfully nipped at him.

"Yeah, but I don't think I'm taking YOU down once you become one," he laughed, "I mean did you see Lola? You just came out and decked her into last week back there!" Even Lucy had to contribute her stale laughs to that. Their sounds of delight gave way to their returning strength and as the wheels of the bus creaked to life, they found their limbs capable of rearranging their positions. Lincoln mostly just sat more upright than he had prior while Lucy brought her legs up onto the seat and wrapped her arms around them. Lincoln looked to her as her head fell against his shoulder and he smiled as he ruffled her hair.

"You seem a bit more welcoming than earlier," he said quietly. Lucy rubbed her head deeper against his shoulder.

"Like I said, had...things on my mind...sorry about all that..." she apologized.

"Hey, it's fine," he told her. She smiled as the smell of his shirt tickled her nose. "You ready for tonight then ya think?"

"Yes..." she said confidently, almost sounding as if she were trying to convince herself, "I...I am." Her eyes locked with his as she looked up. "Boyfriend..."

"I am too," he replied putting his face towards her's, "Girlfriend." The two shared a grin. For Lincoln it was a few seconds. For Lucy it felt like forever that he wouldn't take his face away. When he finally did she was free to drop her's towards the seat again in her lean against him, her cheeks immediately filling with crimson.

* * *

"Like O M G, are you totes ready for tonight?" an excited voice could be heard from the hall.

"Like, totes," another, similarly aged voice replied, "I've already got the "blood" made and have the makeup ready!"

"Oh I can't wait! Tristan's like totally gonna ask that girl in the village out!" Leni sang as she twirled into view from the doorway.

"That or he's gonna bite her," Lori said joining her at the top of the stairs. Dreamily she sighed and clasped her hands together. "What a lucky girl..."

"Bite her? Why would he do that?" Leni asked.

"What do you mean why would he-" Lori began to question before blinking a few times and shaking her head. In a mix of an apology and sympathy, she patted her sister's head and started down the steps. Completely forgetting the question she had in light of the apparent affection she'd received, Leni skipped down after her leaving the view from the door as vacant, not that its occupant was all that interested to see what lay beyond it or hear the two's insipid conversation about whatever meaningless drivel they were going to watch on TV that night. A few sparks shot off from the solder that the young girl within was operating with. Once the appropriate wiring had been welded from the heat, Lisa lifted the safety goggles onto her forehead and inspected the burns closer.

"Ga ga?" the room's other occupant quipped. Taking a sniff of the burns, Lisa shook her head.

"No no Lily, it's not done yet," Lisa murmured as she dove the soldering equipment back into the wiring. A few more sparks shot off from the target. "But not to fear, this new and improved model will be finished before too much longer...and will have much less to handle for its trial run. That's the last time I let everyone in the house use such an untested subject..." After finishing another of the solders, Lisa picked up the unit she was working on and looked it over in her hands. She peered at a few areas more keenly than others. "Still...I never would have imagined Lincoln would have been able to damage the previous one so much. Lynn MAYBE. But him? Dear lord what he must have gone through..."

"Poo poo!" Lily added. Looking to the side, Lisa could see the infant glaring at the corner of the room where the ruined remains of the Assistant-Bot 2600 lay, her arms folded over her chest. Lisa had been rather intrigued by her distaste towards the invention once it'd been relocated back to their room following the incident. True it had terrorized the household, but the baby seemed to hold significant resentment towards the machine. But while the reaction did hold fascination, Lisa wasn't that concerned about the negativity. The next model would be far superior to the previous menace. She could tell that simply by looking over the more appropriate placement of the chips on the motherboard she had laying at the side of the table.

Lily looked towards the door upon the sounding of the front door opening. Lisa didn't need to turn her head to learn of the arrival of the younger half of her siblings from their time at school. While normally she'd have been spending her time within that building herself, she'd been able to request some time off to work on repairs for the disaster that had been her Assistant-Bot by explaining about the damages that had been done which had earned her some sympathy from Ms. Shrinivas. Her only regret was that she wouldn't get to spend time experiencing the brief instances of "fun" that she had found out about with Darcy.

"Sorry bud..." Lisa sighed as she put the device she'd been examining down, "Promise I'll bring a whole slew of vocabularily complex words for ya to laugh at next week." While the door creaks and slams hadn't diverted the young scientist from her work, a soon-after visual did inch her head away from it. Spotting a blur of white and orange from out of the corner of her eye, Lisa cocked her head to the side and saw Lily clapping gleefully at the image she'd missed. To her surprise she saw a rather opposite figure to the previous colors standing outside their door who was looking at Lincoln's open one. Before too long he popped back into the hall and, noticing Lily's excitement, waved to the baby before their black-haired sister grabbed his hand and skipped off with him. Lisa lifted a brow and popped her head out to see the two disappear into the goth's dwelling, her door promptly shutting afterwards.

"Hm...curious..." Lisa murmured as she slunk back into her own room and folded her arms over her chest, her head downturned in thought. Lily stared at the room with a blank smile while her sister pittered across it towards her desk. "Lucy seems to still desire Lincoln's company...very odd indeed. I had assumed that it would have just been a brief interruption in her schooling, but she seems to require the interaction even after a whole week...if this continues it may present a problem for her after-school studying next time as well..." Trying to fix together a solution in her head, Lisa stroked her chin. "...just why is she so...focused on Lincoln?..."

"Goo gee ga," Lily blurted. Lisa glanced at her and rolled her eyes.

"I highly doubt it has anything to do with that," she murmured, "But...what? What has he done in the past week or so that's drawn so much attention to him from her? All I can think of is him wrecking the robot and that was after she wanted him initially. Whatever transpired, I assume, might have amplified some attachments in private but-"

"Gaga go geega?" the baby said.

"Oh please, anyone with a brain could figure out it wasn't Lincoln that pulled those shenanigans," Lisa scoffed. Lily just blinked obliviously while her eyes darted around the room. "No...those "pranks" were clearly nothing of consequence towards their interactions...but...hm..." Lisa continued to ponder as she wandered over to a collection of beakers, her face reflecting into various shapes from their distortions. "...It...it's of no issue at the moment..." she reasoned, "Besides...maybe the continued interaction will be beneficial. Could release the distractions for when her tutoring takes place. And heaven knows that girl needs to cheer up. Having someone to hang around may provide that. No...these circumstances are adequate for now. As for me, I have work to do." Lily dropped into her crib and continued her default adorableness as the sparks started their flickers again.

* * *

Lincoln's tongue stuck out over his upper lip in concentration. He had half expected the request, but he was just getting settled into his relaxed sit on the bed when Lucy had gotten the makeup supplies. It hadn't been anything he wasn't prepared for though.

"Sigh. One of these days I'm gonna get it myself," the girl muttered.

"Hey no-" Lincoln began to reply, but stopped and, after another thought-filled stroke of the brush against her nail, dropped his voice to a more melancholy tone alongside his eyelids, "Hey, no problem...it's not like I'm not used to the brushing. Each layer bringing us one step closer to our inevitable end." Lucy put a hand to her cheek and smiled at him.

"Oh, you're just saying that," she would have cooed if her voice allowed for such a noise.

"No. I'm serious. Every time the brush moves another second wears by. Another moment of our deterioration passes. Eventually it will be at a halt, and then so shall we," Lincoln responded, not breaking from his dulled persona. Lucy's lips were curling rather intensely at their ends while a light blush ran across the bottom of her hair.

"Sigh. Your tone is decent. A bit too happy here and there, but overall it's getting the job done. And the wording...so romantic..." she mused. Now it was Lincoln's turn to blush which swiftly did away with his empty facade. With a cough he returned to his application while Lucy continued to watch him. She found her head bobbing up and down each time his dipped to get a closer look at his handiwork. She did notice him glance up once, but only for a moment, before his eyes darted straight back to the hand he held in his, his cheeks reigniting a bit from the brief eye-contact.

"So! W-we got the personalities. W-we got the, uh makeup. Anything else?, " he asked hurriedly.

"What?" Lucy asked, having not heard a thing he'd said in the trance the motions of his head had her in. While the incredulous reaction may have given Lincoln some disbelieving ire, it at least distilled some of the awkwardness he'd brought on himself.

"The Poetry thingy. We need anything else for it?" Lincoln repeated.

"Uhhh..." Lucy drolled, still fixating on the bounce of his head as he talked, "Oh! Um-well...clothes." Lincoln eyed her body.

"Um...you're already wearing different sleeves," Lincoln told her, "A few more stripes than normal." Lucy did her best to keep her paleness. She hadn't expected him to notice such a detail. She just felt that for such an occasion, at least a modicum of uniqueness was deserved.

"I was more speaking of...YOUR clothing choice," she corrected herself. Her nails finally done, Lincoln sat up straight and looked down at himself before shaking his head.

"What'd I tell ya? Don't worry about it," he laughed. Now Lucy shook her head.

"There isn't much longer," she reminded.

"I know," he told her with confidence. Lucy gave him a suspicious eye, but allowed the assurance to pass.

"Alright..." she murmured, unsure of the claim. They didn't have time to dawdle though. "How's about poems?"

"Young Girl of Darkness

This night, it does call to you.

Come now, take my hand."

Compelled by the words, Lucy, to Lincoln's surprise, lifted her hand in front of her to where he'd outstretched his during his reciting. Both of them felt a warmness flow up their bodies from the contact and delicately Lucy wrapped her free hand around the one that now held her other. Lincoln gulped and felt her eyes, alongside his, drift down to their link. For a pause they were silent and enjoyed each other's comfort.

"I'd say we've got everything figured out then..." Lincoln whispered. Lucy nodded, more to reply than to actually think through what he was saying. "That just leaves one last question then."

"Hm?"

"The one from this morning..." he reiterated. Lucy looked up curiously. "Is there anything...I should do while we're there," he asked. Lucy felt the grip tighten a bit. "As your...boyfriend..." Her own grip bit back at his.

"Yes...you...hold my hand while we're there..." she told him.

"Hold your hand?" he repeated. His eyes dropped to their's painting both of their faces with small smiles. "Well...I think we have that down..."

"Yeah...I guess we do..." Lucy agreed, unable to hold back a blush. The two hadn't realized they'd been leaning forward until their foreheads touched each other. They could feel the breath from each other on their lips, the continued slow pressing of Lucy's head going unnoticed by them. Its lean forward shifted into a tilt as Lincoln's other hand came up and cupped her cheek in its grasp, his thumb brushing some of the locks of her hair to the side in the process.

"I...should probably take care of this clothing problem then..." he said. He felt her nod in his grip. Lincoln took his limbs back to leave, but felt some resistance. It only took a tug for Lucy's own hands to reciprocate and loosen from their daze. As Lincoln hopped to his feet, she brought her arms back to herself and sunk them into her lap. Lincoln was about to head into the hall but stopped at the door and eyed the container he'd put the nail polish in. Lucy was a bit confused as to why he found interest enough in it to return to the bedside. "This got eyeliner in it?" he asked. Though confused, Lucy nodded. "...mind if I borrow some?"

"Use all that you need," she told him, her mouth acting on its own. Grabbing the case of makeup, he dashed out the door and headed towards his room. For a minute or so Lucy stayed a statue on her bed, her mind constantly trying to reboot into a usable state. She wasn't sure why she'd become so still in the aftermath of her and Lincoln's conversation, but the setting sun from the window was what ultimately forced her body into action. As feeling returned to her torso and limbs, she felt a vicious shudder vibrate across her skin and a deep intake of air was pulled in through her nostrils before exiting from her mouth in a gust.

"Sigh...sigh...SIGH..." Lucy repeated over and over to try and get her brain working in more normal patterns. After a few more breaths, she shook her head and crawled over to the side of the bed where she pulled out a box. Opening it revealed the picture she'd drawn of Lincoln the day prior. She removed it along with a pair of scissors and began to cut along the lines of the vampiric figure. Why was she so nervous? Everything was going to be just fine. He was there with her. Everything always turned out fine when he was looking out for her. The Princess Pony secret that he covered for, the winning-over of Rocky when the rest of their siblings nearly shattered those hopes, and now his assistance in acquiring her long-sought date for the upcoming gothic Ball.

She couldn't help but smile as the paper tore under the pressure of each snip of the scissors. If nothing else the redundant action helped to ease her nerves. And the image she stared at wasn't unwelcoming either. Lucy could feel some air tickle her nose on the way out as she gazed into the soulless expression she'd drawn on her brother. It was going to be alright. With a few more snips the excess paper fell away leaving her holding Lincoln's body. Snugly she hugged the image to herself. She truly hoped he did not take her requests for granted, that it was just some childish greed to her own ends. No...there was a reason she had chosen him. She knew he was the one she could rely on. And she hoped beyond hope that she might one day be able to make it up to him for all that he sacrificed, however impossible that notion might have been. To let him know how much it all meant to her...how much he meant to her...

"Sigh..." Lucy said as she looked down into the box and took out another picture, this one an image of herself with a drawn-on wedding dress that she occasionally hung up on Edwin's poster next to her bed. Looking to it, she got out the tape and stuck the image onto the undead character's left. A bit more hesitantly she eyed the one she'd just cut out of Lincoln and did the same, this time plastering it onto his right. Lucy looked between the two images a few times until her eyes focused enough on the middle that Edwin's much large visage became the focus. "Oh Edwin...please...let this night go well...all these preparations...all that Lincoln's done...please...PLEASE...just let us pull this off-"

"Who are you talkin' to?" a male voice sounded from the door. In a flash Lucy somehow both spun around and made the box of pictures vanish beneath her bed.

"No one!" she replied, "J-just practicing some poetry before we...go..." Lucy's jaw never came up after the final word. It just hung there in a state of shock. Standing before her in the doorway was a boy, but one that she hardly recognized. And one that she would have believed to have been sent by Edwin himself. His arms folded and one leg slung over the other as he leaned against the frame, Lincoln smirked. In place of his usual orange shirt and blue pants was nothing but black. Lucy recognized the shirt, boots, and pants all from one of the various days a that he had tried to do something different so he wouldn't come off as boring a while back, but now he had not had the time to dye the hair black to match. Even without it though, the whiteness at the top only served to make the image pop in contrast.

"Figured black would be best for the eyeliner this time," he said pointing out the lack of pale-purple from his last use of the outfit as he walked over. Lucy was still trying to take in just what she was looking at. Taking another scan over him she could make out some included ear-rings. Lincoln's expression grew concerned as more and more seconds passed without a response from the seemingly life-less girl. Then a thought clicked in his mind and he rolled his eyes. Maybe with that type of a getup he was expected to go the full mile. "Sigh. Shall we depart?" he asked emotionlessly. Thankfully, instead of shorting-out her brain, the unexpected voice snapped Lucy back to reality.

"But...of...course..." she replied, forcing the quivering words from her mouth. To her fortune the slowness of the sentence went unnoticed by her brother. Either that or he was trying really hard to stay in character. Regardless, Lucy had regained enough of her senses to land her feet on the ground and dust her dress off. Then she noticed Lincoln's outstretched hand, his face still looking as bored as her's. "Oh um...we're not there yet. You don't have to-" Lucy felt her voice leave as the hand took her's in his. Fearing the blood would come pouring out of her cheeks, Lucy tilted her head downwards. She felt her legs crystallizing and her insides becoming like jello from the intertwining of the coffin-fit boy's fingers. But she could not afford to freeze up. Not while she was supposed to be standing, and certainly not when they had to get going. Using all of her willpower, Lucy pumped air through her nose until she could feel her non-existent pulse flowing through her body once more.

"We should probably be quick," Lincoln told her. Though Lucy's head felt like it was spinning, her forced alertness allowed her to pay attention. "The twins and Lisa are in their rooms and Lynn shouldn't be back from practice for about another fifteen minutes. If we wait too long someone might see us, or more importantly, ME like this, and-well..."

"Y-yeah..." Lucy nodded, "Don't need any more...distractions..." She may have never moved from that spot had Lincoln not pulled. Quickly he led her into the hall where she continued to plod along behind him.

"So, where exactly is this place gonna-"

"Who are...wait-Lincoln?" a younger voice cut him off. The boy felt his limbs joining Lucy's resistance to move as they skidded to a halt at the top of the steps. Looking directly at them was Lana. A barely noticeable trail of puddles led from her shoes to the bathroom and also dripped from the plunger she held. Apparently Lincoln had miscalculated where she'd been before he'd reentered Lucy's domain. Upon realizing who she was looking at, Lana noticed his companion and narrowed her eyes at the pair. Both of the older Louds gulped. "...okay...what are you two doing?..." she muttered. For her mounting suspicions throughout the week, the odd display only furthered her accusing stare.

"They're just practicing for their act!" All three heads heightened as Luan miraculously popped out from behind Lucy and Lincoln. Lincoln returned a thankful grin to her, and while Lucy was less willing to, she did the same. Lana's indicting stare hardly faltered though.

"Act?..." she asked in a disbelieving manner. Luan wiggled her eyebrows at the brother and sister she was vouching for.

"Of course!" Luan exclaimed twirling out in front of them, "Yeah, Lincoln might have caused the whole robot thingy, but it was probably just pressure from some routines they've been helping me with to try and breathe some more life into Funny Business Inc.." Lana cocked a brow.

"Yeah...the robot..." Lana almost spat, her hands moving to her hips as her narrowing eyes now fixated on Luan. If she weren't so used to negative attention she might have been starting to sweat from the expression. "So...what's their act?..." Lincoln and Lucy's mouths shrunk as they grimaced at each other.

"Oh-uh-well it's uh, deadpan jokes of course!" Luan thought up and jabbed her elbow at Lincoln, "subverting the atmosphere and all that".

"Oh um-...yes, of course..." he nodded, morphing his voice into a more emotionless tone after the first couple of words. Lana visibly took an unnerved step back from the sudden change. "Hey Lucy...why did the chicken cross the road?..."

"What?" the black-haired girl asked. A quick look at him and her older sister's faces knocked some sense into her and she turned to face Lana. "Oh...um...I don't know. Why did it?"

"Because it had a death-wish," Lincoln answered, his voice almost a male version of Lucy's. Lincoln and Luan threw their hands out for applause while Lana viciously shook her head from the overwhelming change in demeanor that the scene had taken. But Lincoln and Luan's expressions soon started to lean towards her own. What started out as a confused frown of contemplation soon curled into a delighted smile on Lucy's face.

"Ha ha. Ha ha...HA HA...HA...ha...ha...ha ha..." she suddenly began to repeat. Though her voice stayed the same range, it got noticeably louder towards the middle before petering out leaving the girl to hang her head in embarrassment. While Lincoln and Luan had maintained enough composure to force their act's preservation, Lana had become rather disturbed by the sudden bout of enjoyment Lucy had displayed. Coupled with Lincoln's participation, it was too much. Her suspicions remained for the trio, but she had no choice other than to concede to the facade.

"Yugh!" she grunted as she reached for the doorknob to her room, "Fine whatever! Just...NEVER do that again!" Giving one last glare at the three, she slowly slid into her room and the door shut with a click. Simultaneously the older brother and sister let out a sigh while Lucy stated her own with a word. Lincoln smiled up at Luan who winked at him. Lucy's face remained unreadable to the older girl, but Luan smiled all the same to her. After a second of staring at Luan, Lucy just nodded and started down the steps, preferring to take the lead in case any other obstacles might catch a glimpse of them. She preferred that they spotted the one who was supposed to be wrapped in darker colors before they noticed her partner. As she neared the middle of the steps the sounds of the television gave warning to their upcoming interference and she mentally kicked herself for not having remembered to take the familiar show into account.

"Lucy!" a happy voice blurted out as her body became visible to the two that resided on the couch.

"Sigh..." she said quietly and motioned for Lincoln to stop.

"Hey Lucy!" Lori joined in and raised a glass of red liquid towards her, "Come on! Why didn't ya get the coffins ready? VOM's about to start!"

"Yeah, but don't worry. We don't need the coffins if it's too much trouble. We're like totes comfortable on the couch tonight!" Leni assured her. Hesitantly Lucy darted her head around to look for some way to get past the eldest siblings without their stares. Luan had already disappeared from view and all Lincoln gave her to work with was a bitten lower lip. With no assistance at her disposal, Lucy decided on the only viable option. The truth.

"Sigh, I...can't," she told them. Leni and Lori looked at each other.

"Aw, but why not? Tristan might bite that girl in the village tonight for some reason!" Leni whined.

"For some reason-?" Lucy grumbled to herself and shook her head. How, after everything they'd watch and everything that she'd made the two older sisters do to prepare for the show, was the blond still so clueless about what the material they watched could be about? Glancing at Lincoln, she could tell that he too was waiting for her answer. "Because..." Lucy said, "Tonight's Goth Mic Night and I have to get going. It's an important one so I won't be joining you." Leni's face sulked.

"Aw...but you'll miss-"

"Relax Leni, she can catch the rerun next Thursday," Lori reminded her. Leni's face brightened up once more. Sometimes it could be as easy to get her to smile as it was for Lily. Lucy was just glad to receive aide where she could get it in their mission.

"Yes, I will most gratefully watch it then," Lucy nodded. As the commercials played the two sisters continued to look at her and she at them. A few times Lori looked at Leni, though she just had her stare obliviously fixated on the curiously unmoving younger girl on the steps.

"...okay..." Lori coughed and jerked her head to the door a few times, "So um..."

"So um...yes..." Lucy said. Lincoln slapped his forehead. It was a good thing Luan had come along when she had previously, since they themselves did not seem to have much specialty with the whole "distraction" bit in their current agenda. Unfortunately the same luck would not befall them a second time it seemed, and Lucy didn't seem to be capable under such focus to be able to make up a proper scheme. At least she didn't until she remembered the character that Leni had mentioned. A character that both she and Lori had initially started watching the show for.

"Hey, is that Blake Bradley?" Lucy suddenly blurted, almost causing Lincoln to jump. For Lori and Leni however the words had a much more severe effect and the two instantly snapped their heads to the T.V. screen, wide smiles plastered on their faces. It didn't take long for the effect to where thin however with the actor's image not staring back at them, but in that time Lucy made her move. Not even giving Lincoln time to think, she gripped his hand and dragged him down the steps. The older girls only caught a brief glimpse of the two out of the corner of their eyes before they were out the door.

"W-wait, was that...Lincoln?..." Lori asked as she tried to process what she'd just seen. She could excuse the odd behavior. It was Lucy after all. Nobody knew what to expect from the dark loner. But she was sure that the person she'd seen behind her had been none other than their brother. And it may have been the dimness of the room and the odd effects of the illumination from the television's light, but she could could have sworn that he'd been wearing black and looked more...lifeless than normal. It was hard to tell in the darkness that they had doused the room in for their weekly viewing of the show, but her eyes were doing their best to insist on the oddity.

"It was?" Leni gasped, "I thought it was a vampire!" The two exchanged unsure glances until the intro to the show started which dashed any trace of inquiry from the younger of the two blonds. Lori however found it a bit harder to keep her confused eyes from trailing towards the door.

* * *

The setting sun blanketed the streets in a veil of encompassing shadows. As the hours wore on more and more businesses shut out their lights adding to the corridors of luminous darkness that veined their way through the town. And in the midst of that ethereal twilight hour darkened figures emerged from their homes. Within their own neighborhoods they were met mostly with solitude, but the further they ventured towards their destination the more they found company in those like themselves until eventually entire groups of them were sifting through alleys and parking-lots in their pilgrimage. Not all embraced the darkness, but enough of the poets shared interests with the subject that a good majority draped themselves in shadowy clothing.

Like mobs possessed, they journeyed across the emptying sidewalks of the nearing dusk, their attention paying no mind to the few that remained on them. Many knew any view they'd receive from passerbys would just be that of worry or contempt from those that didn't understand them, and that never would. And most did not have any care for what the thoughts were towards them with how far they'd removed themselves from society already. Those around them that were "normal" were no more than scenery for most. While it was true that there were those among them that merely enjoyed the succulent wordings of the calculated sentences that the gatherings revolved around, it was not the more light-hearted crowd that a newcomer found themselves within.

No, Lincoln Loud had fitted himself into a certain role, and that was what he found himself becoming surrounded in the nearer that they got. At first it'd just been them. Him and Lucy walking together through the streets beyond their's after they'd slowed out of their run from the house. For minutes they traveled in silence, neither knowing just quite what to say. Their brushes with fate had been quite nerve-wracking in their exit, and even without that, it's not like they hadn't already gone over the requirements for the night. For Lucy however, she was finding it hard to talk regardless of how much or how little of a need to talk there was. It'd gotten easier for her throat to attempt proper communication the longer she was exposed to the dreary figure at her side, but each time she glimpsed a peek at him she felt her vocal chords tighten up again.

Lincoln had just assumed she hadn't wanted to talk. She was her after all, and he was not at all a stranger to her long spells of silence and reflection. That and Lucy simply didn't feel the need to fill empty space with words when they weren't necessary many times. But that was not the case in that instance. Not in the slightest. She wanted to talk. To him. She wanted nothing more than to sit down on her bed and talk. Sonnets. Haikus. Even Limericks. Maybe some free-verse. A poem or two composed together, bits and pieces from each of them. It didn't even have to be poems. Perhaps they could converse about the absurdity of their sisters or the upcoming issues of the books they frequented. She could just lay there, talking with him. Joking. Rhyming.

No, she wanted to talk. Daring another look at him however proved detrimental towards the prospect. Darting her face forward again, her breathing increased in frequency. Yes, she would love to talk with the boy. But that face. That look. That sheer and utter enrapture of darkness that he bore made that nearly impossible. And yet...she would love nothing more than to just...spend time with such a figure. And one that understood her so well. Yes, the rest of the world may not have garnered a notion of what she truly was like, but she knew, in the back of her mind, that there was one that might. And he walked right beside her. Why had it become such an issue then? For the moment any thoughts of free-time frolicking should have been secondary. No matter what Lucy desired of her...partner, they had a mission. One that they had been working towards the entire week, and that obviously took precedence over whatever trivial shenanigans one of them might wish to enjoy.

About the time that they'd gotten within a mile of the establishment they'd been making their way towards, the older of the two noticed the forming crowds of like-dressed youths that they'd been passing from time to time. Though he retained his grimmer-than-usual face, he remembered one of the other requirements and felt that the dark-clad kids had become present enough to put it into effect. Lucy jerked to a stop and bent her head downwards as Lincoln's hand slid into her's. Lincoln blinked at her in confusion, but the curiosity only lasted for a few seconds before her feet started back up and she rejoined her brother in their stroll, though with her head still looking towards the ground. Thinking the action was simply a more amplified display of misery or sorrow, Lincoln tilted his head similarly but kept his focus forward, occasionally darting his eyes left and right to catch glimpses of other goths in order to make sure that they weren't drawing too much attention to themselves.

The raven-haired girl meanwhile was deliberating on more personal matters. Why did her mind keep refusing to stay on track? She NEEDED to think about where they were headed. She NEEDED to stop daydreaming. And when she focused she could. But that grab of the hand. That brush of the skin. It rippled her thoughts with vibrations of Lincoln. It was so easy to get lost in the fantasies. What they COULD be doing as opposed to what they NEEDED to be doing. Was that it? Did she not want to have to put forth the effort and face the fear of possible failure? Of possible embarrassment? Did she instead just want to spend her time dilly-dallying with Lincoln instead of venturing through the mounting tension? That...that must have been it. But it needed to be done. It's what they'd been building up to.

Lucy was ready to begin anew with her mental recitals of what she might say to the boy that she sought when she felt another soft squeeze at her hand. Her body threatened to stop once more, but only her mouth felt the effects of the flip-flop her stomach did. Her lips trembled with a sick nervousness. She wish Lincoln would stop what he was doing. He had no idea what it was doing to her. Hell, she wasn't sure she had any idea either, but she knew that whatever it was was making the feared confrontation they progressed towards only that much harder to prepare for.

Lincoln didn't tighten his hold without cause however. He'd felt it from a mile or so back, and he could now begin to understand what the change in atmosphere was. Some sort of...smell. He wasn't sure at first, but as he noticed the building they were walking towards appear on the horizon, a few whiffs floated through his nostrils and continued to magnify the closer they got, until entire streams of the odor were sifting through his cranium. Now he took his own halt. Unsure as to why they stopped, Lucy perked her head up and looked back at him. Catching sight of the boy's face she felt her own beat with an intense flash and bit her lips to dampen the light-bulb it had become. Thankfully Lincoln had been too busy tending to his nose to notice the fading coloring.

"Yah! What is that?" he grumbled as he tried to wiggle his nostrils. Taking in a breath, Lucy realized what he was talking about.

"Ah, incense. Such a fine setting for the serenity of the coming evening," Lucy declared. Lincoln coughed and hacked for a second as his attempts to stifle the scent had only gotten it lodged further into his lungs. "So magical..."

"It smells like one of those candles ya buy at the dollar store...only like...WAY bigger..." he murmured through his recovering wheeze. As Lincoln's hacks slowed and his breathing returned to normal, Lucy noticed a smear below his eye. His efforts to regain his breathing had mismatched some of the makeup he'd applied.

"Hey-what are-"

"Hold still," she said putting a hand up to his cheek to steady his face. Unpocketing a thin container, she pulled out a utensil that was blackened at the end and started to fix up the eyeliner. It took a bit, but Lincoln eventually realized what he must have done in his coughing fit and resigned himself to the assistance. After around five strokes, Lucy tilted her head to look over the socket and then licked her finger and smudged it up against the mess he'd made causing his cheeks to pinken. After a few more brushes, she clacked the eyeliner back into its container with a snap and tossed it back into her pocket. Looking the face over for any more mishaps a few times, Lucy smiled and nodded.

"Sigh...you're so handsome...You have no idea..." she complimented. It took her a moment to realize what she had said, but when she did she forced the confident smile to remain unfaltering on her face no matter what her coloring became.

"Yeah, I suppose I don't," Lincoln shrugged half-hearedly. It wasn't until Lincoln rubbed the back of his head nervously that Lucy chanced spinning back around to drop her strained expression. Putting a hand to her chest, she took in a deep breath and blew it out of her nose. That seemed to get her senses back into a more orderly manner. Lincoln meanwhile looked around. Spotting a few more members of the community than he'd have liked looking at them, he dropped his eyelids halfway and slumped his shoulders. Though some kept their gaze, the misery-filled posture did away with most of the eyes.

Satisfied with the results, Lincoln stuck out his hand towards the side of the girl in front of him. Lucy immediately noticed the appendage but, even if it was just a hesitant fraction of a second, she gulped and drew in another sharp breath. She was ready. Wasn't she? Determined to see the quest through to the end, she slid her hand into Lincoln's and gripped it firmly. She ignored how her cheeks felt.

* * *

Within the somewhat rundown auditorium, plumes of incense and decay clung to the foundation of the interior, the walls and ceiling sticky with the cleansing scents and rising precipitation from the accumulating crowd below. The chamber needed little to enhance the darkness in the waning hours of the day and as such a collection of spotlights built into the rafters from when it'd been used by previous generations was all that was needed when it came to manipulating the focus of the event. Unnoticed by the inhabitants, and accepted, two mice ran along the beams of the inner roofing above, occasionally poking their heads over the side to peer down at the darkened figures below. With a skitter, one crawled across a strung-up sign above the current reader which had been painted with the words "Goth Mic Night".

As the latest poem came to a close, the gathered attendees waited for about half a second before lifting their hands to give a collection of snaps from their fingers in applause. The action certainly caught the newcomer's ear as he and his sister entered through the loose doorway, its door long-since having been removed over the years. The form of congratulations was a bit strange to Lincoln, but he gave it little heed while he attempted to work his way to a good position in the group. The search itself proved a bit tenser than he'd anticipated. Most of the crowd was dressed fairly standard for what Lucy might portray of herself at home, but every so often he'd come across one of the...scarier looking individuals, his "experience" with horror films doing him no favors. And one or two just looked like straight-up serial killers with how they dressed, though their demeanor gave no signs of being anything more than normal beneath the dressings.

Though it took around half-a-minute of sifting, Lincoln finally arrived at an open-enough spot that he and Lucy could occupy the space. He was a bit surprised by the girl. It had taken some prodding to get her to follow along. It was as if her feet hadn't wanted to keep pace with his, a strange notion given that she was the one familiar with the event. If anything she should have been the one leading the way, but instead he'd been pulling her the entire search. With one last tug he'd yanked her into the spot next to him, her head dipping after she bumped into his body. Though their hands were still linked, that seemed to be all that was. She would hardly look up, and when she did she'd drop her head once more upon her eyes meeting his figure, only sometimes giving a hesitant sign of recognition to him.

Shrugging off the odd behavior, Lincoln turned his attention to the stage at the front of the crowd. To Lucy's misfortune they had arrived a bit late it seemed, but there was still enough vitality to the crowd, however minimal they might have displayed it, that Lincoln doubted they were in any danger of the session ending too quickly for the girl to put her plan into action. Assuming the guy even showed up of course. Lincoln had attempted to keep an eye out for their prey as he'd looked for a spot to stand, but the few light-haired individuals they'd passed bore no resemblance to the face that Lucy had shown him on her phone's video footage at the beginning of the week. He could only imagine Lucy had scanned for the boy as well and been met with perhaps a rather devastating realization towards one way their scheme might meet its end. But Lincoln had little worry. There was still ample time left it felt like.

On the stage an older girl, probably around Luan's age, recited lines that she had clearly spent time crafting for a good while. The intricate and detailed nature of the words alone were evidence enough of that. It wasn't necessarily the most catchy verses he'd ever heard, but Lincoln could admire the effort, even if he hadn't been paying attention to what the sentences actually were. Giving more of a listen to the later portion, he could tell more of what the person was actually talking about. Futility. Emptiness. The be all and end all of things. Typical stuff pretty much. The way the sentences were lined up and flowed into each other however drilled a more sentimental feeling into the boy's chest and he found himself unable to turn his ear away once he'd invested himself.

After around a minute of performing, the poem came to its close and Lincoln felt a swift rising tension from the audience before he became encompassed in a chorus of finger-snaps. Not wanting to upset the balance, he lifted his own hand and did the same, though with much less frequency to his pops. As the noise died down he eyed his fingers and tried figure out just how to make his digits clack together any quicker than he'd been doing it in his stint of participation. After a bow, the girl walked to the edge of the stage and stepped down making way for, what Lincoln could only assume was, the "host" of the event to walk into the spotlight. As they spoke a few words to the audience, Lincoln continued his snapping attempts a few more times before shaking his head in defeat and looked to his side.

To his almost shock, Lucy was just standing there staring at the ground. There was no evidence that she'd even tried to search for anything since the few brief looks he saw her make when they'd initially arrived in the building. It's not like she didn't want to of course. Obviously she'd love to spot the light-hair atop its round face and bite her fangs into his soft neck, but she...couldn't. The circumstances, the setting, the...entire operation. It was...she didn't know what she'd expected the experience to feel like, but she knew that what she felt in that building was not what she'd been striving for. The thoughts of failure, the nervous anxiety in her stomach, the countless ways that it could all be compromised. She gulped down a dribble of unease and leaned up against Lincoln's arm, the texture and smell helping to calm her.

She felt her hairs stand on end as he wrapped his arm around her body and pulled her closer. Instinctively she dug her face against the side of his neck.

"Sigh..." she said quietly. No matter how she had treated the glimpses of his face that she'd gotten, Lucy found herself lost in comfort within Lincoln's grip.

"Luce?" she heard him whisper, his lips tickling the strands of hair around her ear. She could feel a small smile on her face.

"Mhmm..." she hummed back. Her face lit up as she felt his hand squeeze the side of her waist that the arm had wrapped the appendage towards. "Sigh...Lincoln...I...this is...sigh, thanks for-"

"Lucy..." he murmured more sternly. Confused by his seeming disregard, Lucy glanced up and was met with his eyes. She would have probably reacted more warily towards the stare if it had stayed on her, but the moment after she locked eyes with him, his darted to the side. Lincoln brought the pupils back to her and dashed them to the side again. Understanding the gesture, the girl turned her head and looked towards where his vision directed. Then she died. At least she felt like she did. Looking directly at her was the boy. The one that she had been after. The one they'd been preparing for all week. The one that she'd asked for Lincoln's assistance in acquiring. And there he was. Looking at her. Looking at them. Watching as a boy of similar height and hair-hue held his arm around her.

What Lincoln assumed to be a continued portrayal of affection for the display was instead Lucy's alarmed body curling deeper against his for support. Whatever the intent, it only cemented the boy's stare at the scene. His eyes swamped with covet, he kept his head locked in the direction of the pair. As the latest poet read out their lines Lucy buried her face into Lincoln's neck. It may have been necessary to ensure their target's interest in her, but dear lord if the private breaths against his skin weren't painting Lincoln's face with a darker shade. The latest reader had finished their poem, and this time the applause was in the form of actual claps, though their impacts were rather quiet and respectable.

"So...he's right there...he's NOT looking away..." Lincoln murmured into her ear as a boy took the stage, "...you gonna do it?..."

"Not now...it'd-...it'd jeopardize everything..." Lucy whispered back. Lincoln's brows bent. It may have been a baffling claim for him, but Lucy needed more time. Time to collect. To prepare. She couldn't just rush him. No that would only end in disaster. She needed meditation. Calmness. Ease. Breathing more deeply, she tried to focus. Tried to focus on images of serenity. Of peace. Graveyards. Vampires. Edwin. Books. Lincoln. That final image broke her clean out of the steadied breaths and she popped open her eyes to see the physical view of her partner. Her inhales became more ragged, but allowed for a longer inflow.

"...he uh...looked away for a bit at some other girl but...he's looking at us again..." Lincoln informed, "ya...may wanna do something...who knows if he's gonna go for another gir-"

"H-he w-won't..." Lucy mumbled, her face still in the side of his jaw. Lincoln's blush deepened from the feeling of her lips moving against his neck. Minutes seemed to pass allowing another poet to take the stage in the meantime. Lucy was breathing deep now. Thinking. Contemplating. The moves to make. The delicate procedures to initiate. Flashes of her attempts at Rocky pierced the surface of her brain. She knew better now. At least she hoped she did. If nothing else the air she took in was assisting her thoughts. And the skin she rubbed against...she hadn't noticed it but her mouth had been slowly opening which shut from another squeeze from Lincoln.

"Luce...he's..."

"Right," she murmured. They were on a time-clock and every second they wasted was another closer to the end. Her mind now more stable, Lucy parted from her brother and turned to face the boy in the crowd. As reminded, he was still standing there, but with Lucy now having turned her attention to him his focus broke from her and stared off towards some other part of the crowd. Her feet did everything they could to stay planted where they were, but the pulsing determination Lincoln had helped to provide her with proved enough to begin a slow trek through towards his direction. It wasn't enough however. Time had run out.

"Thank you Sasha, as well as the rest of you out there tonight," the host declared to the crowd after about half a minute of silence from the stage. Lucy felt her unbeating heart slide up into her throat and begin to choke her. She couldn't believe it. She was too late! Even as the person on the stage began the closing statements she could see him turn to head towards the exit! He wasn't even going to stay for the end! "This has been a lovely showing. If anyone wishes to perform one last poem however, we still do have time. Anybody?" She hadn't been the only one to notice the sudden departure. Scrunching his face, Lincoln balled up his fists and took charge towards the steps of the stage. "Any-"

"I got one!" Lincoln hollered. All eyes turned to him, Lucy and the boy's included, at least until the girl continued to make her way towards the boy she was after once she understood the opportunity she'd been given. For a moment Lincoln felt a wave of embarrassment and stupidity wash over him, but only for a moment. That faded away as quickly as it came in the presence of the severity of their mission. Lincoln paused for a few seconds and stood there in silence, a light sweat on his body, before he swallowed and closed his eyes. He needed to think. Given that his audience was mostly of Lucy's type they'd probably buy that the pause and eye-close were part of his "act". Building drama for the payoff to come. But what was the payoff? Knowing that he had a bit of time his mind flipped through the various types of poetry that he was familiar with and settled on the one that he felt would buy his partner the most time. He just hoped he could pull it off under such pressure and with the limited time he had to prepare.

"In the graveyards do you walk...

Among bones and blood you toil..."

Lucy's venture started to slow. Her feet still walked, but her mind didn't ignore the sudden rhyming.

"Through...the headstones...have you sought

But their tombs you've left unspoiled..."

Lucy's mind filled with vivid representations of the scenes that his voice portrayed. Intricately her mind worked to unravel what was being talked about, unknowing of the effort that Lincoln was having to give to make the phrases up so quickly.

"Your hands they dig and fill with dirt

Another corpse at rest...

Your heart...it...hangs and beats with...mirth...

But your mind doth attest..."

The light-haired boy in the crowd, had also become rather enraptured by the performance, but noticing who the person on stage was that was speaking, he turned his attention back to the girl the poet had been standing with. To his dismay the black-haired girl looked to be completely enraptured by her boyfriend's poem. Seeing no hope, he turned back to the exit.

"Is this the scene you love so dear?

The path ahead at end...

Do you...despair and act in...fear?

Please...you have a friend..."

Lucy could feel a swelling flutter in her chest as she listened. The words felt like a wave of lush pillows flowing around her, their fabric rubbing away the troubles and turmoil of the day and her hands folded over each other near the base of her throat.

"I may not be your undead crave..." Lincoln said, his voice lowering for the end, "But my care for you...shall remain..."

Both Louds let loose their tense breath at the same time, Lincoln for the relief of having made it through his spontaneous volunteering. He waited nervously in the pause that followed and gave a sigh as the audience erupted in quiet applause. Delighted, he bowed, but quickly reprimanded himself and dipped back into an uncaring slump on the stage. To his surprise the host of the event even gave their own rousing claps as they walked to his side and smiled down at him. Shooting back a bashful grin, he headed towards the steps and hopped to the ground to begin his search for Lucy. It did not take long to spot the black-haired girl. As he stumbled to her through the impressed crowd he could see her smiling at him, hands clasped together.

"So?..." he beamed upon making it to her.

"Sigh...that was incredible..." she congratulated. Lincoln blinked a few times, looked to the left, then up, and blinked a few more times, his pupils shrinking each time before lowering them back down to his sister. His smile now stretched from cheek to cheek, but beneath the surface it looked as though it might tear apart from the incredulousness that he'd been met with.

"...hold up..." he muttered through the happy mask he wore. Lucy felt as though she should have taken a step backwards. She didn't know why though. His face was coated in delight, as well it should have been from the reception, but her instincts were insisting that the expression was more akin to a lion waiting to pounce. "You...did...you-..." he murmured as he tried to find the right words. Now she did take a step back. Whatever the smile was holding back was not nearly as pleasant as the face he displayed. "Are you...telling me...that...you...LISTENED...to the poem...instead of GOING AFTER HIM?..." Lucy's face felt as though it slid off of her head and shattered on the ground. At first the quiet sounds of the crowd around her faded. Then what little light there was. She was left standing there in the darkness of soul-crushing despair.

"No..." Lucy said quietly. Hastily she spun around and started looking for the boy.

"Are you serious?" she heard Lincoln ask from behind her.

"No!" she cried shoving deeper against the bodies around them.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Lincoln's voice repeated. Desperately Lucy searched, but no matter where she looked the results came up the same. He was gone. Her heart dipping, Lucy turned back around to face the other boy of interest, but he wasn't faring much better. "You-I...I can not...believe-!...that-...gg-...GNN!" Lincoln grunted through his constricting expression. He couldn't even bring himself to look at Lucy for more than a few seconds at a time. After about the third glance, he whirled around to face the direction opposite of his sister and stomped off into the crowd.

"Lincoln!" Lucy called. She tried to follow, but the vain hope of locating their target kept her from moving too far. "W-wait!...please..." Lucy tried to peer through the mass of bodies for either boy as the host on the stage detailed the upcoming dance that she had wanted to go to with the boy she had spent so long preparing for. But she found neither of them. Hopelessness pulsing through her veins, Lucy's head dropped to the ground and she dragged her feet through the crowd towards the exit. "...Sigh..." She couldn't believe it. All that time. All that work. For nothing... Just complete and utter failure. And what's more, it was at the expense of all of Lincoln's work as well. Everything that they'd done. Everything that he'd forfeited. And she had let him down. Her stomach ached with an unpleasant nausea as she stumbled into the night air outside. She just wanted to curl up in her coffin.

"Lucy?" an unexpected voice said. Startled, the black-haired girl looked to the side to see a taller goth, but one that she knew.

"Haiku?" she responded with just as much surprise.

"It's good to see you were able to make it to this at least," the older girl said with a smirk, "You didn't tell me your brother was joining us. He looked good." Lucy's face flushed at the mention of him. Then she thought of something that made her head lifted.

"You knew Lincoln was here?" she asked.

"Of course," Haiku nodded as she flattened out a poster she'd been putting up against the wall of the building, "how could you not pay attention to such an eloquent poem? I just had to take a look inside to see who was talking. Such talent." Lucy felt the bile rise in her digestion.

"Yeah...it is..." she agreed in quiet admiration. Noticing the smoothing of her friend's hands she looked to the poster she was handling, the image of which reiterated what had caught her attention.

"The Royal Woods Ball of the Undead?" Lucy murmured. She'd almost rather not have seen the words now. Almost.

"Yes. It was quite an ordeal to decide on how the posters should look, but I think it came out decent," Haiku said, commenting on the visuals of the sheets she'd printed earlier that day, "Of course we do so hope you can assist us next time. You always have a certain...flair to your designs."

"Well...I did make a comic once..." Lucy claimed with a bit of pride, "Actually Haiku...I was...looking for someone...you wouldn't have happened to have seen a boy around Lincoln's height come through here, would you have? Lightish hair. Round face."

"Oh yes," Haiku replied automatically. Lucy's head raised higher into the air. "He was quiet melancholy. I made sure to remind him of the upcoming event though. He said he'd be there hoping to find someone that might join him in a dance." Lucy felt her stomach slide back into place as her face illuminated. There was still a hope! "Hello Lincoln," Haiku said. Her joints stiffened, Lucy chanced a look towards the entrance to see her brother standing there, a wet rag drenched in the eyeliner that had been on his face on the ground next to him.

"Hey Haiku..." he replied politely. Lincoln only looked to Lucy for a second or two before looking to the exit of the building's parking-lot. Wordlessly he started walking, his hands stuffed into his pockets. Lucy felt her insides churn again as she watched him depart.

"...sigh..."

-end of chapter-

Welp, guess we're not ending the story here. This chapter sure took up a few weeks. It's been pretty much nothing other than me working on this when I'm not working on my comic or working at the factory I work at. Very...a lot of...work to cram inbetween everything else I do to make this chapter. But, we're still going! Looks like Lucy still has a shot. And looks like Lincoln's not all that elated about things right now. How are things going to go from here on out? Is Lucy on her own? Will Lincoln donate his goth clothes to charity? Will Luan pop out of a cake at the Ball and ruin everything?

Oh, but uh, to the dude askin' about where the "lemons" are in the fic, sorry but you're...kind of out of luck. Look at the rating.


	9. She Shoots, She Scores

Chapter 9: She Shoots, She Scores

In most households, the Loud House's included, the living chambers of those that resided within their dwellings were expectant of the life that light brought to their abodes. For half the day their cube-like accommodations would be plastered in the colors of what they had chosen to layer their walls in, the objects that they decorated them with on full display in the vibrant illumination. For one room however, one of the inhabitants welcomed the other half of the day, its hollow darkness giving way to the comforting shadows of isolation. Within that engulfing shade she felt as though she could just disappear into absolute contentness. She could be hidden from all else, free to exist in its pool of seclusion on her lonesome.

To the fortune of the room's other dweller however, that queen of the night was gone. Lucy had evicted herself from the cubicle in which they lived about half an hour before allowing the more restful form of her older sister to lounge about in her bed as the rising sun cracked its rays through their window, a scene that Lucy would have been thankful to have been absent for. Her unconscious eyes taking note of a beam of light as it drifted across her eyelid, Lynn turned trying to cling to her sleep. Another flash wormed through her closed vision causing her to scratch her butt as her mind started to receive a flood of notifications from her body in its slow wake. Irritably she tossed and turned until she could take the prodding no longer and blinked her eyes slowly before stretching and giving a deep yawn.

With another shorter yawn she bent upwards and stretched again, each vertebrae in her back popping with the act. It had been a rather simple last day of training after school the day prior, but even with those easier exercises it left her body, however fit it was, worn in the expectation of the break she'd be receiving for the mandatory two days off that all the youth looked forward to, even if her competitive nature wouldn't allow her to admit to the enjoyment of such an interruption. To fight against the notion, Lynn hopped out of bed to begin some morning stretches, though her face almost met the ground with how wracked with sleep her mind had been. Shaking off the dream-cravings, Lynn pulled her arms into the air and bent forward and down a few times.

In her next position she chose she was given a clear view of her roommate's bed, its covers somehow neatly thrown to the side in an orchestrated haphazard manner. She was almost surprised to see any indication that Lucy had been in the room. She'd been out so late the night before at, Lynn could only assume, one of her poetry meetings that she herself had been fast asleep by the time the younger female had gotten home. Had she not seen the state of the bed Lynn would have just assumed that Lucy had decided to try and sleep outside in a tree to better prepare herself for being a vampire. As she pulled her body into the opposite direction Lynn realized something. She hadn't seen Lincoln either. The boy of the house had been suspiciously absent. Sure he could have been out with Clyde or something, but the joint vacancies felt a bit too coincidental, especially given Lucy's apparent pardons to Lincoln's misdeeds in recent days.

The stretches done, Lynn straightened her back and pulled her right leg up. With a thrust of her arm she brought the leg down and bounced the other into the air before doing the same with the other side of her body. As she jogged in place her brows furrowed. She remembered murmurings amongst the siblings that had been present during her waking hours after she'd gotten home from practice. Though the conversations had mostly been whispers between companions of the younger and older age groups, they had seemed to have been talking about some oddities that night from within the family. With Lisa likely not caring about the "nonsense" that the others conversed about and Lily not understanding more than the limited vocabulary she had at times, suspicion seemed to fall on two individuals. Two individuals that had coincidentally been absent when she herself had arrived.

Lynn's mind worked in overdrive once her jogging had ceased and she stood there in frustrated contemplation, a hand at her jaw. There was something amiss, but she couldn't place her finger on it. The look to her alarm clock normally would have been cause for panic given the time on it, but knowing what day it was she just focused on what the freedom might entail with the typical activities absent. It did however stir a more subconscious schedule within her body. Acting on instinct she headed out the door and started her walk towards the bathroom. She was a bit surprised to see how many shadows were present as she approached. She'd assumed most would have gotten their preparations out of the way by then, but she could see at least four of the youth located at the sink.

Upon entering she noticed the two siblings that directly preceded her in age. At the center of the sink were the twins, Lola working on her eye-shadow while Lana dug at her teeth with some floss, though that one's eyes flipped between the older kids at either side of them every so often. The one on the right was Lucy, a toothbrush moving back and forth in her mouth. Its brushes never changed their pace even with the constant back and forth motions. At the opposite end stood Lincoln who had been busy examining his face in the mirror, though it seemed to hang with forced ignorance towards his company. After a few pokes and prods at his cheek, he settled into a more relaxed stand and grabbed his toothbrush.

He looked around for the tube of toothpaste for a few seconds before continuing the search into more unexpected spots until he finally found it behind the heads of the younger girls in an outstretched hand. Even if it only took a fraction of a second, it felt like a rather slow look upwards to the body that the arm was connected to and then to the face on top of that, the owner's pale visage smiling at him. Lincoln stared at Lucy for a moment before dropping his eyelids halfway, returning to his forward standing position, and putting the dry toothbrush into his mouth. Lynn felt something drop in her heart as Lucy's jaw dropped open at the response. After a pause her mouth closed back up and her head tilted downwards before it moved dejectedly back to face her part of the mirror, the interaction unseen by the girls between them.

The unnoticed newcomer to the room however had been a very aware audience for the actions and they painted her face with a scowl. Lynn contemplated just slamming her brother's face into the sink right there, but decided against it. She was the older of the group. The more mature one. Carelessly she undressed to slip into the shower, its already in-use state dampening her skin with humidity. No, she would be able to think up more proper retribution to his callous nature the more she stewed on her thoughts. Flinging her clothes across the room, she closed the curtains and positioned herself to where the falling water-drops would be able to reach her better over the shoulder of the older person present in the veil of rain.

"Wha-Dude! Little warning! Personal space mate!" the faux-British voice blurted once its owner had noticed the intruder at her back.

"Yeah yeah," Lynn murmured as she started to scrub her arms with the bar of soap they now had to share, "buddy, if you had the type of workouts I did you would not be surprised by bathing partners." Luna just scoffed and rolled her eyes. Lynn shared as much interest in the conversation given her more distracted thoughts. The more she thought about the children beyond the curtains the harder she scrubbed. She couldn't believe what she'd just seen. Lynn didn't know what was going on between Lincoln and Lucy, but the boy's response to the black-haired girl's offering had been infuriating given his antics as of late. She could feel her skin almost beginning to burn from how quickly the block rubbed across it.

That look of shock and hurt had just plumed Lynn's veins with such a pulse of hate. She knew that she herself wasn't the most dispensing of pleasantries, but to see her already isolated roommate be given such disregard when she'd tried to help someone was prompting for a beating, especially when considering who had disrespected her. It'd have been one thing if it'd have been Lori. That was almost expected at times from the eldest. But Lincoln? One of the members of the family that Lucy cared more than most? The soap had long since moved to Lynn's stomach to avoid tearing a hole in her limb from the scrubbing. That didn't stop it from attempting to do so to its new location when her mind played back the destruction that Lisa's Helper-thingy had caused. Oh no, Lincoln had quite a bit he deserved for his building disrespect.

"I'm telling ya, Loes, there is just something weird going on!" Lynn heard in a whisper as she lifted her head. The scrubbing slowed and she stuck her ear to the curtain, her eye just barely able to see the twins exiting through a crack in it.

"The only thing weird is your obsession with those two. Luan already told ya it was some act right?" the pink-dressed one grumbled back, clearly having had enough of her lookalike's speculation. Lynn lifted one of her brows. There it'd been again. The murmurings of the Louds that were left at the sink. But those suspicions meant less to Lynn when viewing just how the younger one had been treated. The sight of Lincoln making his departure flared up another bout of distaste which only amplified as some soft words caught her ear.

"Lincoln...wait..." is what Lynn thought she heard under the heavy fall of the water around her. Whether their brother heard it or not she wasn't sure nor did she care. All she cared about was how Lucy, who'd come into view, watched after his unstopping walk. Dismay on her face, the goth dropped her outstretched arm and looked to the ground. Rage flooded Lynn's body and she squeezed a glob of shampoo into her hand. With a good swing it slung out of the curtains and splattered against its target. If Lucy hadn't caught his attention that certainly had, alongside the younger girl's. Not even feeling what had hit his head, Lincoln turned back to shoot a look of disbelieving irateness at the younger girl, her face stilled in a state of shock at the sudden explosion of foam. Narrowing his eyes, Lincoln turned away from the door and resumed his walk, now with louder steps. Lynn grinned at the irritation.

* * *

In a dimly lit room a small girl lifted her glasses to rub her eyes. Her face hung with agonized tiredness. All throughout the night Lisa Loud had been wide awake. Given the free time she'd been allotted with her time away from school in the past few days she'd had very little incentive to stray from her tinkering and as such, when she wasn't working on the next version of the Helper-Bot, she'd been hard at work on her various other devices. A time Traveling machine, Diaper-Dispensing Fuel-Converter, and most importantly her latest experiment. Squinting her eyes, Lisa reached for her soldering iron and zapped some wires together on the internal panel she was working on. Once she'd taken the time to realize that the weekend was approaching she could only assume that she'd felt some form of excitement for the extended time to dedicate to her ever-inventing toiling.

Once she'd tossed the utensil to the side she looked the panel over, her cheek landing on a propping hand she had ready from the arm that rested on the table. As the wires and indentations of the panel ran along their paths in her vision it began to blur together into a mass of jumbled colors like a green plate with melted pasta splattered across it. Lisa could just barely make out the faint flutters of an oncoming series of mental movies when she forced her eyes back open. Feeling the flaps of skin beginning to close over them again, she lifted a hand up and smashed it against her cheek. The jolt of pain was enough to keep the optical organs operational enough for her to stumble over to another table she had set up next to her bed and retrieve a cup from it. Her hand jittering from sleep-deprivation, Lisa poured some brownish liquid into the container and took a lengthy drink. It may have been the last of the coffee she'd abducted from the kitchen, but it gave the desired effect.

A vibrant life pushed its way through her limbs from her heart and her eyes snapped open wide. A grin overtaking her lower-face, Lisa felt a vibration rattle up from her toes, to her head, and back down again before she trembled up off the ground and shot around the room at a breakneck speed. Lily laughed at the sudden display of life as her sister bounced off the walls, various work-equipment finding use in her sped-up machinations in the process. First a few beakers were filled with liquid and mixed into necessary materials for later use and then a few dozen or so sequences were rattled into the computer from her fingers to clean things up on it. In a matter of seconds Lisa had accomplished more than she had in the preceding half-an-hour.

Unable to stop herself, the young scientist sprung into the seat at her desk and frantically got back to work crossing wires and welding chips into place within the contraption that had taken up her attention throughout most of the night, a contraption that could very well change notions of what reality itself was. A demonstration for those seeking answers. A visit to planes only cobbled together within the minds of those that crafted their interpretations with the materials they'd been provided to lay their visions down on. Entire new worlds that could be brought into full view. And all of it was at her fingertips. She could feel it. That shaking ecstasy that came with the anticipation of her latest works. It was a sensation that she got when she knew she was getting close to a breakthrough. And by god, she could taste it.

It would have to wait though. Remembering the Pageant-Judger Scanner that she'd promised Lola, Lisa dropped her materials and ran over to the closet. Knowing better than to keep the older sister waiting for too long, she flung the doors open and looked up. It may not have been a dire emergency, but every project needed to be started or continued at some point, and in her frazzled mind it only made sense to dabble in its mechanics at the current moment. Frantically she hopped up and down trying to get to a shelf. Having no luck, Lisa eyed the floor beneath the shelf and then looked back up at it. She rubbed her chin in thought before placing the hand on her hip and nodding her head. A book. That's what would be enough to give her the height necessary to reach the elevated space. And judging by the height, a certain spellbook from the more "mystically" inclined sister of the house would be the perfect step-stool to solve the dilemma.

Knowing there was no use in attempting anymore jumping, Lisa turned to dash back to her desk, but found the task much...harder than before. At first filled with confusion, Lisa's ever unfocusing mind became more and more alerted to the reason for the loosening control of her senses. Though her feet continued their attempted trek, her shoulders slumped in defeat even as she felt the fading caffeine abandon her to the weight of her staved-off tiredness.

"Dang...it..." was all Lisa could mutter before her feet surrendered her upward position. With a soft thud she fell forward and, after a few rolls, she slid to a stop, her spread arms propping her body into a sideways lay. "Why yes Albert...I...would love...to solve your...equation..." Lisa's unmoving body told the unseen idol through her snores. Happily Lily laughed at the slumbering body.

* * *

A soft rustle filled the air with each dragged movement of a pair of feet across the carpet of the floor. In the world beyond the windows birds sang in their delighted frolic and squirrels chittered. In the distance could be heard the faint melody of some jolly ice cream truck. Lola and Lana ran against each other in their activities on the shimmering day of hope and delight. But for one member of the family it could be no darker. No drearier. Even with her usual state of mind, Lucy found that day to be, somehow, even more hopeless than usual. She hardly even took notice as her mismoving feet led her face-first into the wall of the kitchen before causing her to stumble back and continue on in her uncaring trudge.

"Groan...moan...grooaaaannnn..." her voice droned throughout the living room. Given the size of the household it'd been inevitable that there'd have been someone watching TV at that point, but given Lucy's usual display, the words merely seemed to be extensions of her everyday nature to Lori. Her companion on the other hand immediately responded to the begrudging sounds and popped her head up over the top of the couch. Leni watched curiously as the pale girl wandered into their parents vacant bedroom and blinked a few times, her head trying to register the actions. Once its buffering had given way to the recognition of her demeanor, Leni slumped back down in her seat.

"Gosh Lori, did you hear that?" she asked.

"Oh I know! There's no way she's going to take the biker guy!" the older sister nodded.

"Wait what? Why would she? He's like totes adorb!" Leni argued. Lori just rolled her eyes. Then she shook her head and gave her a confused stare.

"Hold on, that's not what you were going to talk about?" she asked.

"It wasn't?" Leni responded just as confused leaving Lori to smack herself in the face.

"You were asking if I heard that," Lori reminded, "if you weren't talking about The Dream Boat, then what were you talking about?"

"Oh. My. Gosh. The Dream Boat! I almost forgot!" Leni exclaimed directing her face happily back to the television. Lori could feel her brows grating together from the frustration. Sternly, she grabbed Leni and shook her.

"LENI! What were you talking about?!" Lori growled. It wasn't that she truly wished to know all THAT badly, but given the effort she'd extorted so far she felt she was at least owed some sort of conclusive answer to the imploring.

"Huh?" she asked.

"WHAT DIDN'T I HEAR?" Lori yelled. Leni blinked a few times.

"...you didn't hear something?" Leni questioned. Fury fizzing from her ears, Lori threw her hands into the air and slouched back down into her cushion. Dumbfounded by the irritance of the couch's other inhabitant, Leni lifted her eyes to her head in search of an answer. By the time she'd come to one, Lori had begun recovering enough to begin her investment into the show once more, the previous issue waning in light of the matchups that were being shown.

"Oh right!" Leni said as she brought a fist down onto her other hand. Leni cocked a brow at her. "Lucy came through here earlier. She was like...depressed."

"...Lucy...depressed?..." Lori mumbled. Leni nodded her head, its weight practically bouncing its empty structure back and forth. "...stop the presses..."

"What presses?" Leni asked. Lori didn't even have the energy left to show a response to her dimness.

"Leni...did you seriously...interrupt The Dream Boat to tell me miss nightmare-queen is moping around?..." Lori grumbled. Leni put a finger to her lip for a second and sprouted a smile.

"Yes!"

Lori didn't even dignify the statement with a retort. Her eyes just slid back to the screen in front of her.

"Lori! This could be serious!" Leni whined.

"Leni. It's LUCY," Lori pointed out, "the girl that sleeps in a god damn coffin. This is probably like a normal Tuesday to her."

"But it's Saturday," Leni told her. She could hear the other blond sigh, though for what reason she wasn't sure.

"Look, if you're so concerned, why don't YOU do something about it? I gots a show to watch," Lori suggested. A look of crossness on her face, Leni hopped to her feet and put her hands on her hips.

"You know what? You are right!" Leni declared. Lori smiled to herself as the other teenager vacated the room. "And that biker guy like so has a chance!" she heard from her parents room once Leni had exited, the claim causing Lori's eye to twitch from the suddenness of the contradictory viewpoint. The more fashionably-dressed girl however had more pressing matters to deal with than just who would end up with who on the rerun they were having to catch after missing the episode earlier in the week. No, she had a mission. Hands on her hips, she entered the abode of her parents and looked around. She just wished she could have remembered what that "mission" was. Figuring the best course of action would be to look for clues as to why she had come into the room, Leni started to look it over. First she scanned her eyes across the bedsheets, then lifted them up to look under. Finding nothing of interest beneath them, she hopped over to the dresser and started opening the draws.

"Guh! Mom! Seriously?" she gagged. Reluctantly she withdrew a rather garish-looking nightgown. "You know I can make better fabrics than this! Why do you settle for these old out-of-date linens?" A bit disgruntled, the fashionista carefully folded the item back up and tucked it away before sliding the drawer back into place. Tapping her chin, Leni whirled around. There'd been nothing thus far to explain to her why she'd entered the room, but the most recent thing she'd done was check the clothes. Snapping her fingers she walked over to the closet. If it was clothing she was after, most of the remaining items would have been stoled away behind the sliding doors. As she reached for the handle though a noise stopped her.

"Moooannnn..."

Leni looked at the handle to the closet suspiciously. She'd never heard it make that sound before. Come to think of it she had never heard ANY of the closets in the house utter such a somber noise. She reached for it again but was again halted.

"Grooaaannnn..."

Now she was growing concerned. For some reason the sounds grabbed at something in her heart. An unexplainable sense of remorse. And yet...it was so familiar. Figuring the best solution was to comfort the object, she extended her hand and this time patted the sliding panel in front of her. Receiving no negative responses from the action, Leni smiled and gripped the handle.

"Now why am I looking for clothes?" she asked as the door pulled open. Her eyes only remained on the various items of clothing hanging in front of her for a few seconds before they trailed down to a lump at the bottom corner of the chamber. A dark lump. One that appeared to be a mass of black strands draped over some pulled up legs with arms wrapped around them.

"Moooaaannnn..." it uttered. Leni's mouth hung as she looked to the door that she'd opened.

"Hm...must be related to each other..." she figured. Shrugging she knelt down in front of the rather wordy mound and peered into its strands. The further she inspected it the more she came to a realization. She wasn't looking at a mound. She was looking at a person. A younger person. Lucy! Sparing an eye at the clothes above she shook her head. The clothing could wait, right now more dire matters seemed to be at hand.

"Siiggghh-"

"Lucy?"

"Yuh!" the dreary girl sounded an octave higher than normal as she jumped into a more alert sit against the wall. She took a moment to take in the visual of the brighter teenager before her. A light blush on her face, Lucy turned her head to the side to try and hide it.

"What's wrong?" Leni inquired. Now Lucy scooted her whole body in the direction her head was pointing in her futile effort to stave off the attention. Leni showed no signs of departing and, in fact, only grew more intent in her analyzing of the younger girl from the action. Realizing that she couldn't just ignore the blond female, Lucy tilted her face in her direction.

"...sigh," she murmured and hung her head, "it's...nothing." Leni displayed a rare look of suspicion at the claim.

"...are you sure?" she asked, "You're saying the words "Moan" and "Groan" quite a bit..." Lucy lifted her head back up to view the girl's inquiring face. In her mouth the goth gritted her teeth. Why was Leni choosing now to be sensible?

"...sigh..." Lucy murmured again, "it's...sigh..."

"And now you're saying "sigh" a lot," Leni pointed out earning her a wince of annoyance. Muttering something under her breath, Lucy shook her head. She knew there was only one way to ensure Leni's leave, even if she had her reservations at putting forth information.

"It's...you see..." Lucy mumbled trying to find the right words. Growing in curiosity, Leni inched her head forward, a movement that did not aide the composition of Lucy's sentence. Giving a small cough, she rubbed her throat before continuing. "...I...I...did something wrong..." Leni's head bent to the side causing her hair to bounce.

"That's it?" she asked. Lucy gave her a rather baffled expression. Leni looked as those she were about to laugh. "Oh Lucy, it's alright. You get used to it. I do things wrong all the time!" The young goth slapped her forehead. She needed to remember who she was talking to.

"No no I...I mean...I...did something wrong...it made someone...mad..." Lucy elaborated. Leni's smile dropped into a worried scrunch. That didn't sound like an issue you could just have Lisa solve for you. "He...he'd been helping me...and he's um-uh...he's this...really great guy," Lucy told her, the returning smile starting to spread across Leni's face again, "but...I...messed up this thing we were working on and now...sigh..." Lucy's stance returned to what it had been when Leni had first found her, only now Lucy wrapped her arms tighter around her legs. The stabbing feeling in her stomach had returned worse than ever. The more she thought about the boy that dwelled two rooms away from her one, the more the knife twisted against her innards. Leni looked to be the opposite of such turmoil.

"Aw it's okay..." she told the younger sister. Lucy shifted her view towards her from behind her hair as Leni's hand rubbed her arm. "This guy is a really good guy right?" she asked. Thinking on the question, Lucy nodded. "And did you two liked each other before this?" she asked. Again Lucy nodded. Leni's eyes closed into happy slits. "Then it'll be okay. He liked you and you liked him. Just talk to him and explain everything."

"B-but he ignored me when-"

"Then make him listen," Leni insisted. Lucy bit her lip. Sensing the remaining tension, Leni patted her back before getting to her feet. "If he's as great as you think he is then he'll understand." Though still drenched with an unwelcome distaste, the stabbing had retreated a bit. Lucy may not have known just what course of action that she planned on, but the words, for what they were worth, had eased the self-loathing, however slightly it had. Mentally apologizing to giving up on the mystery as to why she'd been searching through her parent's clothes, Leni, satisfied enough in her distracted endeavors, slid the doors to the closet closed once she'd stepped out of it to give Lucy her "lighting" back. As she neared the door to the living room, Leni put a hand to her mouth to suppress a small giggle. Though it'd been dismal for the younger girl, in a way it'd been somewhat adorable to hear about her crush.

* * *

Irritably Lincoln rubbed the back of his head. Again he'd felt the slickness of the remnants of shampoo he hadn't gotten out of his hair and grumbled. After glaring at his fingers for a few seconds he shook his head and returned to his latest task. That being the completion of a new model spaceship. Squinting his eyes, he flicked his tongue up over his upper lip and focused as one of his hands inched a tiny window towards the indentation it was to fit into while the other hand gripped the structure of the ship itself. His breathing slowed but remained consistent as the plastic neared its destination. With a suctiony "shlunk" it met the glue he'd layered the inside of the encavement with and he held it there for a bit before sighing and letting go of the objects. A relieved smile adorning his face, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Whatever had happened, it was nice to finally be able to return to his life, the little he was able to enjoy of it of course. Usually he'd be tangled up in whatever crazed scheme or assistance the rest of his family orchestrated, but when he got those precious moments to himself he was free to be able to return to his more desirable hobbies. And nothing loosened his mind of issues more than model-making. The pieces to sand, the instructions to follow, the precise positions to plant the creases and objects into. It was an undertaking that demanded the utmost attention to get it the way the creator wanted it. And that attention left little room for one's mind to dawdle to other issues.

The remembrance of part of the reason he'd decided to fill his mid-day with the construction however caused his shut eyelids to contract a bit. It was easy enough to lose his mind to the building, but with it at a pause his mind felt like it had to fight some to keep his mentality off of the memories he'd been attempting to obstruct, and the flurry of feelings that came with them. Anger. Disbelief. Betrayal. Disappointment. As the emotions wormed their way through his resting state an image formed beneath the lids of his eyes. The tiles of the bathroom floor and the sink and shower surrounding a shorter black-and-white figure. Lucy. Lincoln's eyes snapped open and he bent his brows downwards towards the center of his face. Regret.

"...sigh..." he murmured as he rubbed the space above his brows with his thumb and fore-finger. He hated that image. The look of hurt on her. Even if she hadn't shown it as prominently as previous times, that air still clung to her regardless. Sorrow. A virtue that she was all too familiar with and that, when she willed it, would snuff out all else she might wish to show. He should have been the one with such a nature given the circumstances, and he may have had it, but for her it just came so naturally. That dampening sense of hopelessness and inner turmoil. It was almost too much to bear the sight of, and he felt he probably wouldn't be unjustified in dismissing the goth's visage of misery. But...there was something about the image that evoked a sense of...self-bound dejection.

With a grunt he leaned forward towards the model and steadied his face. It didn't matter. That was the past. Their little...operation was over, no matter what the outcome had been. No, now Lincoln was free to do whatever he wanted, and his intent was to see that he made the most that he could of the weekend. Whatever he felt for his younger sister, be it spite or sympathy, it was done. They would move on from it. He needed to. There would be other ordeals and adventures. This one had just been a failure and he just needed time to come to terms with it. Coercing a grin to his face, Lincoln reached for the tube of glue on his desk but was stopped by a noise. Perking his brows, Lincoln looked towards the crackling walkie-talkie on his bed and leaned back to grab it.

"Ace Savvy here. Over," he answered.

"Hey Ace, it's One-Eyed Jack," Clyde replied, "What's up? I heard ya trying to contact me earlier, but the family was having a meeting about the importance of Rabbit Repellent." Lincoln gave the communication-device a strange look.

"Oh um, well, I was wondering if we were good for going to Gus' Games n' Grub tonight!" he suggested, shaking off the oddness of the McBride issues.

"Of course!" Clyde exclaimed, "You missed it last week, but this time you are going to watch me completely dominate that DDR machine they got there!"

"You?...DDR?..." Lincoln murmured. He didn't have to have Clyde in front of him to know that he was nodding, his head bloated with confidence. "...you realize we're the two that can't hit opposite foot-pads at once to save our life right?"

"Well, unless Ronnie Anne's the one competing..." Clyde cooed. Lincoln's face became a tomato adorned by a glare. Clyde snickered upon hearing the sounds Lincoln's throat was suppressing. "Look dude, you got your motivation, I got mine. Solo I guarantee I broke like a world-record last time."

"Well, can't wait to see it for myself TONIGHT then," Lincoln grinned causing the hue of Clyde's face to join his.

"Y-yeah, m-me neither man!" he laughed nervously, "F-five thirty good?"

"Absolutely," Lincoln confirmed, "keep your dancin' shoes ready."

"Uhuh, y-yeah sure! One-Eyed J-Jack out!" Once the device he clicked off Lincoln let out a few laughs. His pal may have had a boisterous streak at times, but his hesitation never failed to come to the front when prodded. Lincoln was just happy to have some excuse to get out of the house later. With a toss, the walkie-talkie bounced back onto his bed and he returned to the object at his desk. The upper fin of the space-craft still needed some panels put into it. After some looking he found the first of the pieces and squirted a glob of glue onto the back of it. He could hear some sort of commotion in the distance but his senses were intent on remaining undisturbed. As the bumps and shuffles grew in frequency, he gritted his teeth in his fight for concentration. The panel was just about lined up, but upon hearing one last clatter a few rooms down he lost control of his hands and the panel he was trying to place shot forward unexpectedly.

Lincoln's gaze inched down slowly, not wanting to view the damage. To his luck however the panel had landed exactly where it needed to, it's edges having lined up perfectly with the interior of the space he'd been aiming for. Wiping his forehead, he let out a sigh and slumped back into his seat. Then he gave the door an aggravated look and got his feet, model clutched to his chest. If nothing else he wanted to know what the disruption had been about. His grip tight with annoyance, he pulled the door back a bit and stepped partway into the hall. He could see a much shorter figure scuttling towards his direction from a few doors down. Lisa just barely noticed her brother in her wobbling patter to her room.

"Ah, hello dear..." she greeted before letting out a loud yawn, "...brother."

"Uh...hey...Lisa...um...why were you in Lynn and Lucy's room?" he asked, somewhat curious as to what the commotion had been for. The young genius let out another tired yawn before scratching her cheek.

"Earlier I was attempting to retrieve some rather elevated materials. Once I'd judged by the...the..." unable to hold it back, another yawn escaped, "height and necessary components to solve said problem I deduced that a certain spellbook of Lucy's was the appropriate measurements to achieve the means to that end." Lincoln blinked at her. Lisa dropped her head and tried to sigh, but the elongated intake of air provoked yet another sleepy wide-mouth of air. "I needed a step-stool so I was trying to get Lucy's book to use for one," she summarized.

"Oh..." Lincoln nodded, "Well, did ya get it?" A bit embarrassed by the results, Lisa looked to the side and shook her head. She always found it somewhat difficult to admit defeat to such seemingly simple tasks.

"Even with Lynn's help I couldn't find it," she grumbled.

"Well if you want, I can-"

"That will not be necessary. I should be fully capable to getting ahold of such a commonly-used object," she told him, "Now, if you...you...phew." Lisa trailed her eyes upwards, thankful for being able to stop the latest yawn, "If you'll excuse me, I have a reality-warping display-device to work on." Excusing herself, the toddler scuttled into her room and shut the door behind her. Lincoln however was not at an end to his engagements. Having noticed the voices from the hall, Lynn had also taken a peek into it and grew a bit of a devilish grin once she noticed who the short girl had been talking to. It didn't take long for her to formulate another stab at the culpable boy once she'd noticed what he had with him.

The moment that Lisa had vanished she'd made her entrance, riding her skateboard into the hallway so fast that it raced onto the wall itself. Lincoln hardly had time to process the oncoming assault before he could duck. His arms didn't lower with the rest of the body however, and by the time they'd reached the proper position their hands were empty, the object of his delight absent. In an instant his eyes had widened and he jumped to his feet just in time to see Lynn's grinning face disappear down the steps with his incomplete model in her hands. Not even needing to command them, his feet raced to the stairwell. At the bottom of the steps, a younger girl who was about to start up them spotted the oncoming skater and stepped to the side. Lynn winked at Lucy as she passed followed soon-after by a rather vexed Lincoln. The answer to the chase's commencement came when she looked to Lynn's hands before she and Lincoln could disappear out the front door. A somewhat glum expression coated her face as she thought back on the wink Lynn had given her and she hung her head.

"...sigh..."

* * *

Luna's head bobbed up and down to a somewhat peaceful beat. Calmly her hands moved and strummed her usual instrument while one of her legs dangled over the side of the top bunk-bed in the room. Below she could tell from the pitches in the air that the room's other occupant had been talking, likely about some inane joke or prank, but she just nodded her head up and down so as to give a continued feign of responses to whatever was being discussed by the more foolhardy sibling. To actually engage the maniac in a proper conversation was to only ask for unnecessary stress for one foolish enough to do so, and on such an easy-going day Luna quite enjoyed the peace that was available.

The week itself had been nothing too out of the ordinary. The usual tests and piles of homework alongside her after-school activities, which mainly amounted to an absurd amount of guitar-playing. But she had given some assistance to two of the younger siblings if nothing else a few days back, and given Lincoln's insistence on "helping" others he certainly deserved some aide. Paying more attention to the muffles of Luan's incessant babbling through her headphones, Luna soon found her harmonic demeanor morphing to a more disapproving scowl. Not caring whether the jokester noticed or not, Luna spared her an annoyed glance. Luan was caught in the midst of some bout of almost maniacal laughter. At what, Luna did not know nor care. She just murmured something quietly before turning back to face the ceiling and started the strumming again, the pause in music going unrecognized by Luan.

Had Luan been paying attention she may have realized that the resumed strums of the guitar had been brought down a pitch and started playing more slowly, but she just continued on into some pun for Mr. Coconut's "enjoyment". Though Luna may not have said as much when it came to personal feelings as the others did, she found it a bit troublesome to think about the girl. She just dawdled around making jokes in spite of the grief she caused. There was no sign of regret, no display of sorrow. She just let Lincoln take the blame for her, and the consequences that came with it. Did she even know about how Lola had been after Lincoln the other day? And when the others ridiculed him she joined right in. Sure it wasn't much of a surprise for her to get on someone's nerves, but she didn't even seem to acknowledge Lincoln's favor for her and that...bugged Luna.

The room's ceiling bounced the louder strum Luna made back down to her. Closing her eyes, she let out a sigh and flicked them back open to peer down at the girl again. This time she felt...not quite a smile, but certainly a more...accepting expression than before. Perhaps it was the music. Playing through the notes always did help to calm her. When she was happy the noises expressed that energy to the world, and when she wasn't it filtered those frustrations out of her. But the change in personality wasn't without merit for the girl below. With the talks going around about the strangeness from the night before, Luna had been able to piece together just who Luan was trying to "help" when she'd disappeared from the room on that evening, and though Luna may have had just as little a clue as anyone else, perhaps even less, towards what had transpired between the middle-child and his younger companion, she did feel that Luan had done something to ease her debt to him.

Still, it was an inquiry she could do without. A few more strums brought the beat into a more frantic cascade of twangs. The line of Luna's mouth spread to each cheek as her rising sound filled the air, its vibrations echoing off of the walls of the room and shuddering the rooms at its sides. She hadn't felt such an energy for a few good days now, and it seemed that the reflection on Luan's generosity from the day before had been what she had needed to allow such an intensity to flow again. It might not have been all that she should have given, or needed to give, but it had been a start. And that was cause enough for whatever resounding rhythm Luna now gave her. Whether the comedian found it an acceptable reaction was another story. The pupils of Luna's eyes contracted for a split second once she'd heard her chaotic shredding dampen to a much quieter degree than she'd been playing it at.

"Geez, I know ya like to "amp" it up, but I can barely tell a joke down here!" Luan grumbled. Realizing what must have brought her volume down, Luna poked her head over the side of the bed to see the jokester twirling the extension chord she'd had connecting the guitar to its amp in the corner of the room in her hand.

"Yeah toots, "tone" it down a bit will ya?" Mr. Coconuts chimed in as Luan brought her dummy into view to glare at the rockstar, "This gal ain't the Marx Brothers after all. She needs her practice!"

"Hey!" Luan growled at him receiving a shrug from the dummy in response. Luna grinned. Not because of the act, but because she now knew a way to receive some more recompense for Luan's more intolerant actions from that week. With the music no longer as big of an issue, the girl on the ground got back into a more conversable stance with Mr. Coconuts and rubbed her throat to prepare for the next batch of jokes. And as she got ready, so did her bunk-mate. "So Mr. Coconuts! What do you call a girl dangling chicken feed in front of a rooster?" she asked gleefully, her eyebrows wiggling at her wooden assistant. Mr. Coconuts seemed to think on the question for a moment before shrugging his shoulders again.

"I don't know Luan. What DO you call a girl dangling chicken feed in front of a rooster?"

"A Cock Teas-"

BRANGGGG!

Luan's lower eyelids jerked upwards and her pupils dialated before her suddenly suspended body dropped back to the ground allowing her to clamp her hands over her ears, Mr. Coconuts mimicking the action from where he'd helped to cover her right one. The sound had only stayed in the air for a mere fraction of how long it might have hung had the instrument been hooked up to the amp, but it'd been enough to interrupt the performance. Sourly she eyed the top bunk, but saw no movement other than Luna's seemingly calm strumming. Luan kept her eye on the bed even as she turned, but she eventually got herself back into position.

"I don't know," Mr. Coconuts repeated, he himself seemingly a bit annoyed by the redundancy, "what do you call a girl dangling chicken feed in front of a rooster?" Luan's mouth grinned ear to ear in anticipation.

"A Cock Teas-"

"BRANNGGGGGGGG!

This time her teeth bit against each other hard and she whirled around to confront the interruption, but again, there was no sign of the wild motions Luna's hands should have been recovering from. Disgruntled, Luan returned to the glaring dummy.

"What do you call a girl that's teasing a rooster?" Mr. Coconuts asked.

"What? No no! That's ruining the whole joke!" Luan complained.

"Hey! Don't blame me! I can't work under this pressure!" he whined back as his arms folded across his chest. Luan took in a deep breath and exhaled. Hearing no deviation from the chords of the guitar for a few good seconds, the pair nodded to each other and got back into position.

"Alright. Mr. Coconuts," Luan started, a bit more sternly, "What do you call a girl dangling chicken feed in front of a rooster?"

"I don't know," the dummy responded more robotically than he had previously, "What do you call a girl dangling chicken feed in front of a rooster?" With the question asked the duo looked at each other and then at the bunk-bed. After a few rounds of circulating the glances, they nodded and a large grin sprouted on Luan's face.

"A Cock Teas-"

BRANNGGGGGG!

Luan whirled around but, again, saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"A Cock Teas-"

BRANNGGGGGG!

Now she saw the swift plunge against the strings that Luna made with her hands, but she didn't care. She just wanted to finish the joke.

"A Cock Teas-"

BRANNGGGGGG!

"A Cock-"

BRANNGGGGGG!

"A COCK-!"

BRANNGGGGGG!

"TEASE!"

BRANNGGGGGG!

"A COCK-!"

BRANNGGGGGG!

"COCK-!"

BRANNGGGGGG!

"COCCKKKK-!"

BRANNGGGGGG!

By the final rounds of furious guitar riffs Luan's voice had practically joined the noise in an inappropriate collaborated chorus. Her panting face fumed with too much anger to have paid much attention to the repetitious punchline. Luna on the other hand was giddy with expectancy for her own quip.

"Geez brah, I can see you're in heat," she mused as she poked her head over the side of the bed to look down at Luan's steaming expression, "But do ya really need to let the whole house know about it?" Luan's gritting teeth slowed to a stop as the rather noisy face-off played through her head again causing her to redden.

"Gyuh-grum-gkkk-...GRAAAHHHHH!" Luan wailed. Furiously she flung open the door and stomped out of the room with Mr. Coconuts to find a less obstructive place to practice leaving Luna rolling in her bed with laughter. Luan's face darkened further as she caught ear of a similar bout of noises from the living room beneath. To her misfortune she'd have to traverse that chamber to get outside. A black-haired girl bounced up and down from the stomps as the normally-cheerful teenager passed by her in the hall. With the sudden rise in exuberance from the oldest siblings on the couch Lucy saw an opportunity.

"Why's everyone laughing?" Lucy asked, hoping to get some good fuel to possibly change a certain boy's attitude.

"Why don't ya ask Ms. Laughing Maiden back there?" Luan grumbled. Lucy's bounces lessened as Luan descended the steps.

"You know you can always call up Beni Luan!" she heard Lori say once the comedian had gotten to the bottom.

"Shut it!" Luan snapped. There was a pause once she'd slammed the door on her way out before the older girl burst into laughter once more. Though somewhat confused, Lucy looked towards the door that Luan had come from, it's open entrance sifting music into the hall.

"Gotta be cruel to be kind," Luna hummed to herself, her body relaxing in the undisturbed orchestration. She may not have exactly planned out how the confrontation might go, but once she'd found the right place to strike it had been relatively easy to rile the offender up. And for her valiance she'd been rewarded the unrestrained music-making that she'd so happily been working into before her plug had been pulled. Not that she needed it, but it did help with the acoustics. Thrusting her body about, Luna's fingers pricked and prodded across the strings of the guitar, each pluck adding to the lively victory beat that had been picking up. After around a minute she finished the piece with a few good shreds and thrust her fist into the air.

"Thank you! And Good-"

"Night," a calmer voice finished causing Luna to yelp and topple out of the bed where she fell to the ground below. Her eyes spun about in their sockets as she wobbled to her feet and shook her head about. After a few more rolls around the edges of their lids, the eyes centered and she looked down at the intruder. "...sorry," Lucy apologized.

"Huh?" Luna blinked, still a bit frazzled by the impact with the ground. Stumbling around, she picked her guitar back up and fell onto the lower bed behind her, "N-nah man, it's...it's all good...what up?..." Still dazed, Luna attempted to re-tune the completely discorded instrument while Lucy ran her fingers through her hair. By the time Luna looked back up due to the lack of sound, the stroking had become more of a tug. "...Luce?"

"Hm? Oh-um..." she mumbled. Luna smiled coolly and patted the spot on the bed next to her. It was clear to see that the girl was misshapen about something. It took a bit of prodding, but eventually she did take the offer and before long found herself on the bed as well, her head looking towards her swinging feet below. Something was obviously on her mind with how the limbs hanging over the edge of the bed swayed. Delicately she put a hand on the younger girl's back and rubbed it.

"Hey, relax. It's fine brah. Now what's this all about?" Luna asked, trying to calm her. She could see a light blush forming across the lid of Lucy's hairline. For the goth it didn't seem to get any easier when consulting someone new about her...issue. Each time she had to be careful. She had to think through each and every word. That may have been more easy for her than others due to how versed she was in her vocabulary, but it was still something that demanded time for contemplation beforehand. "Lucy?"

"Sigh," she muttered as she began poking her pointer-fingers together nervously. Whatever was eating at her had Luna curious enough that she had discarded her guitar to the pillow at her side. "I...something...happened..."

"You don't say?" Luna smiled from the unshocking revelation in light of how Lucy was acting. The redness of her face intensified. "Kay, so whatcha want me to do?" Lucy jerked her head upwards but put it back down almost as fast. She hadn't been prepared for such a competent audience. There was no pause for thinking. She'd just skipped right to the more blatant response.

"Well...I was...hoping you might be able to...help me..." Lucy said quietly.

"Depends what it is that ya need "help" with," Luna shrugged. Lucy bit her lip. She did have to be careful.

"I um...I messed something up..." she told her as one of her hands went to the other's arm to rub it, "There was this...thing that...I asked someone to...help me out with and I...messed it up. He...wasn't too happy and-"

"So Lincoln's mad at ya," Luna summarized. The unfinished sentence hung Lucy's mouth open as Luna's words interrupted. She could feel the heat almost sizzling the skin of her face from the presumption that the musician had made. Slowly Lucy shut her mouth and tilted her head downwards as her hands slid between her lap.

"...I...didn't say it was...Lincoln..." Lucy murmured, her voice almost too hushed to hear, though it didn't escape Luna's comprehension. The older girl grinned at her.

"You didn't say it wasn't him neither," she pointed out. Lucy's head turned away as Luna's dipped down next to it. "That's some pretty big drama it sounds like, for, what I can only assume, is the little "routine" you guys were doing for Luan..." Luna said causing Lucy's lips to lift towards her nose. "Relax sis, I'm just messin' with ya," she chuckled and elbowed the shorter figure once the uncomfortableness had built up to an acceptable level.

"Sigh..." Lucy grumbled. She almost wished she'd gone back to Leni for assistance.

"Kay kay kay, so how do I fit into all this?" Luna asked. Lucy took a deep breath and looked towards her once the air had cooled her expression.

"Well...I was going to ask Luan for help given her expertise in the cheering-up department," Lucy told her, "But she told me to ask you instead when she was leaving. By the way, why was she so mad?" Luna blinked once and burst out laughing. Cautiously Lucy inched her head back to avoid the rocking body.

"Oh ho ho, girl, that is...I'll tell ya later," Luna replied through a few more laughs. The laughs, though excited, did eventually die into chuckles and then into little more than dry "ha"s and "heh"s, all while Lucy sat patiently in her wait. With a few grunts, Luna cleared her throat and smiled down at the youngster. "Alright, so you need advice on how to get Lincoln out of his bad mood right?" she asked. Lucy nodded. "And are you gonna give me any information to work with on what exactly happened?" Lucy was about to shake her head "no" but stopped to think.

"...he...we...were...our routine...we'd been practicing all week..." Lucy replied putting the sentence together as best she could.

"Uhuh, your "routine"," Luna smirked as she gave the final word air quotes. Lucy blushed.

"Yes...the "routine"," she nodded, "we...we'd been practicing it for a...very important event and...everything was going fine...and Lincoln he...he covered part of it for me so that I could get ready...and...I didn't..." Luna lifted one of her brows. It was getting a bit hard to figure out what all the things that Lucy was saying might have actually represented. "I...just...watched him...listened to him" she continued as her voice lowered to a quieter tone, "...I...became so...enraptured in his part...how perfectly he did it...that I completely forgot about everything else...I just had to listen-watch! I had to watch...and before I knew it he'd taken his bows and come down to me. He thought I'd done my part of the act for a...certain someone in the audience that we were trying to get to stay...and...I didn't...this person he'd been helping me to prepare for all week...I just...I listened to Lincoln instead...and by the time he got to me...the person was gone and I was just standing there oblivious in the face of his performance..."

"Ouch," Luna winced. She may not have understood every last bit of what the warped version of Lucy's retelling was about, but she got enough of it to understand the general conflict.

"I...he...sigh..." Lucy muttered. Wanting to disappear, she brought her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She felt Luna's hand rub her back again. "He hasn't even talked to me since then..." Luna heard Lucy's muffled voice through the limbs she'd buried her face in, "I...need some way to...make up for it..." Normally Luna was the most laid back of the house. If they could count on anyone to let things be, it was generally her. But with the state Lucy seemed to be in, even her face had to show some sign of sympathy. "I...I did something bad, and...now he...h-hates me...and-...and-...and..."

"Woah, calm down there girl," Luna told her.

"But w-what if he hates me f-forever?..." Lucy's voice trembled. Her skin crawled as she felt a larger hand grab her arm and take it away from her face. With the appendage removed Luna could see the shorter girl's sullen expression. She wanted to cover the space right back up, but Luna's hand kept the arm at bay leaving Lucy with little more of a choice than to look at her doubtful smile.

"Hates you forever?" she almost laughed, "We're talkin' about the same Lincoln right?" Lucy pushed her face into the space between her knees. "Whatever happened, you did something," Luna explained, "And that somethin' was bad. So he's miffed right now. So what? He's still Lincoln. If he's pissy he probably just needs some space for a bit. You know how it is." Lucy's face tightened. She wished she could believe it was that easy. But she remembered her talk with the previous sister. She needed to be more forceful. She didn't want to risk losing him completely in the growing distance.

"...sigh..." Lucy moped. Luna's eyelids lowered. She knew from experience how things could go between siblings, and she also knew that time was the answer to it more than three quarters of the time. But that didn't seem to be what would cure the girl that was curled up next to her. Around half a minute passed before an idea popped into Luna's head and she smiled.

"Alright alright I...think I know a way to help you get things back on track," she told her. Skeptically, Lucy lifted her head and looked at her.

"You...do?..." she asked.

"Sure brah. This works everytime! Now what we gotta do is get a boom box-"

"I don't want to sing or dance," Lucy stated lowering her head back down.

"Wha-? Dude, I didn't say anything about that. You don't have to do either," Luna told her. Lucy's skepticism returned.

"I...don't?..." she asked. Happily Luna nodded.

"Not at all. You just gotta stand there!" she told her. Lucy felt a wave of relieving hope begin to wash through her.

"...I can do that."

* * *

His feet heavy and face ragged, Lincoln Loud climbed up the steps to the second floor of the house. In his hand was gripped a somewhat ruffled version of the model spacecraft he'd been working on prior to the, what felt like, ten-mile long run across Royal Woods in his attempt to retrieve it. Somehow or another he had gotten it back, but not before having to maneuver through a car wash, a junkyard, a group of seals flipping across burning tires (for some reason), and whatever other obstacles Lynn had been able to find. Lincoln scowled at the faces he'd caught of the young teenager. Nothing but pure glee and delight at the hazardous complications she drug him through. He was used to her endangering his well-being. That was nothing new. But that race had held a special kind of venom.

His retrieval of the object only highlighted the animosity as Lynn had tossed it into the air right above the river, which, by that point, Lincoln had been too drenched in anger to take any course of action other than to dive right in after it. Obviously he'd been swept away in the current, but at that point he hardly cared. What mattered was he had gotten the figure back. It had to have been a good five minutes that he had been thrown about in the rushing water before he'd spotted land near his street and swam his way to shore. Soaked to the bone, the white-haired boy sloshed his way across the sidewalk and splattered into the house. Every step he took left a fine print of liquid in the carpet. The only consolation had been spotting someone that looked even angrier than he felt. He didn't know why Luan was so aggravated when he'd passed her on the way back, but it did lighten his spirits a bit, for whatever fraction that'd been worth.

By the time Lincoln had gotten back to his room he was beyond eager to rip his sopping clothes off in exchange for a fresh pair. Checking to make sure no one was in the hall so that he'd have enough time, Lincoln removed even his underwear to swap them out for a new set as well. In just under a minute he was stretching and checking over the next batch of orange-shirt and blue-jeans that he'd slid into. Seeing that all was in order he sighed and looked to the desk that he'd put the spaceship on. He should have been more angry at the sight of it than he was, but truth be told he was too worn out to care too much about the misaligned windows and hanging nose-piece at the moment. He was just happy to be back in his room where he could relax and-

TNK!

Lincoln blinked and looked around. Something had made a noise. A rather...sudden noise. But from where? It'd sounded too loud to be from another room or the hallway, but looking his room over he saw nothing but the usual trappings. His computer, his bed, his comics. Everything was where it should have been and it didn't seem like any of Lana's critters had snuck in in his absence. A shudder ran up Lincoln's spine. He would never forget throwing back the covers to see the younger girl's snake snoozing on his resting-space. Just to be safe he lifted them for a peek and to both his dismay and relief he found it empty. But what then had made the noise?

With a loud crack, chips of glass shot off of the indention that appeared in his window causing him to jump in fright. Then he felt adrenaline. His irritation returning, he rushed over to the window and flung it open. But it wasn't Lynn causing the disruption. To his surprise the girl that he was looking at down below was younger and of a darker-choice of clothing. He would have probably dropped into a more annoyed face once he'd realized who he'd been looking at if his curiosity over the Boom Box she was holding above her head hadn't overridden it. For a time Lincoln and Lucy just stared at each other, each daring the other to act, though unbeknownst to him, she was waiting just as he was. Once it'd become apparent that his attention had been captured, an older girl's arm reached out of the bush next to Lucy and hit the "play" button on the device suspended above her head.

"Baby come back! Any kind of fool could see!..." Behind the curtain of Lucy's hair, her eyes widened. She hadn't known just why Luna had had her hold the thing until the words hit her ears. Blushing madly, she dropped her head, but continued to hold the music-making object up in the air. "There was something, in everything about you-!"

BRZAPP!

Lucy's head lifted up. For some reason the weight in her hands had become much lighter. Looking back over her shoulder she could see the Boom Box sputtering and sparking from the rock that Lincoln had retrieved from his smashed window and chucked back at it, his own face stained with a reluctant redness from the unexpected coaxing. To their matching surprise however, the organizer of the event slid into view from the bush and continued the rhythm on her guitar.

"BABY COME BACK!" Luna practically yelled causing Lucy's shoulders to jolt up to the height of her chin in embarrassment, "YOU CAN BLAME IT ALL ON ME! I WAS WRONG! AND I JUST CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT-"

"HEY LOUD!" a much older voice hollered from the house next to their's, "Shut off that racket will ya-"

BRANK!

All eyes looked to Luna as she hit the ground from the model spaceship that Lincoln had sent soaring into her head.

"...nice shot Loud!" Mr. Grouse congratulated before retreating back into his window. Looking up to her house, Lucy could see Lincoln dusting his hands off against each other. For a moment she thought she saw a flicker of...sadness from him, but he shut his window all the same and blocked himself from view. Hanging her head, all Lucy had left to look at was her fallen sister.

"And I find it kinda funny...I find it kinda sad...the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had..." Luna sang weakly in her unconscious stupor.

"Sigh..." Lucy muttered before grabbing Luna by the legs dragging her towards the door to the house.

* * *

A low shredding sound whirred across the the pavement as a car wheeled past in the trail of its noise. A grin on her face and a fresh cone of ice cream from a nearby truck in her hand, Lynn Jr. bounced into the air flipping the skateboard over a couple of times in the process. With a clack she landed and continued on the smoothed stretch of sidewalk. At the speed she was going at the consistency of the wheels' contact with the ground was so fine that any bump or crack she'd hit could've been felt throughout her whole body from the vibrations. That was part of what she loved so much about the form of travel. On such simplistic wheels you could engage with the ground so well even when you weren't touching it, and the rush of the air made you feel so alive.

Lynn had seen construction workers from a distance, but even though they were in constant movement of their supplies across her trail she had stayed on course with them. Spotting a wooden board being carried between two of the men, her grin widened and she sped up. They noticed her just in time to ready their bodies for the impact she would make with the object they were holding, but the force never came. With a stern kick to the back of the skateboard, Lynn launched herself a few feet above their wood while the skateboard itself lifted up just below the wood. The skateboard cleared the obstacle with just enough room that it slid right onto her feet as she came back down on the other side of the piece of wood and her board hit the ground with another clack.

Energy flowing through her veins, Lynn turned around on the progressing board and threw her fists up into the air in victory while the men she'd avoided yelled at her. She shrugged at them just in time to notice her escaping ice cream and yanked it back to take a bite before it had a chance to fly away. Humming to herself, she sucked on the delicious concoction and basked in its sweetened taste as it swam across her taste buds. After such a valorous act she'd deserved the treat. The way that Lincoln ran had almost been amusing to watch. His desperation, his anger. It was so satisfying to squeeze out of him.

But it couldn't have been just a simple race. No, it had to be special. That's why it'd gone on for so long. That's why it'd involved all the tribulations that it had had. He needed to suffer. She needed to make him suffer. For what he'd done throughout that week. For how he'd treated Lucy. And perhaps more importantly, for turning the younger girl from her older sister's side. She had just given him what he deserved for his part in that stupid robot's rampage and Lucy turned a blind eye to it. With Lucy finally dismayed by his actions though, Lynn was sure that she'd finally come to appreciate the retribution. And he certainly deserved it for the distress he seemed to place on her.

Lynn's face held steady with her expression as she entered her neighborhood and road straight up to the house, giving the skateboard one last kick to the back to launch her up to the door where she jogged inside, the energy still pumping through her. It had been a great day. She couldn't wait to see the look on Lincoln's face the next time he saw her. Maybe he'd try to yell at her. Maybe he'd try to attack her. Oh how she hoped he'd try to attack her. Too pent up with liveliness, Lynn paced around the living room a few times until she heard something. She couldn't tell what it had been, but there'd been some sort of verbal utterance. Curiously she looked around. Finding nothing, she skipped over the kitchen to see a rather...odd sight. Halfway slouched across the table was Luna with her eyes rolled up into her head and drool pooling beneath her chin.

"Stay in bed...float up stream..." her voice slurred. Even if the words could only really be noticed when within a close proximity to her, Luna's vocal chords didn't sound like they'd been the ones that'd been the cause for the investigation. Another voice however joined in a bit of a ways off. Before too long an older girl had come up from the basement with a basket of items in her hand.

"Oh my gosh Luna, I looked around but I couldn't find a "stairway to heaven" or any "smoke on the water", so I just got you this step-stool and a pack of old cigarettes I found down there," Leni apologized as she set the collection next to the passed-out rock star. Looking up she saw Lynn and waved. "Hey Lynn!"

"Um..hi...what's with the...whatever this is?" the younger girl asked, completely confused by the scene.

"Oh, Luna like hit her head outside and Lucy propped her up here. I've been trying to get like things that might help her recover, but she never takes any of the them even though they're what she's been telling me to get," Leni told her and placed her hands on her hips to give a more dissatisfied look to the purple-dressed figure who's drool was growing across the portion of the table she rested on, "Like that is like so rude! What else could you need?"

"Black hole sun...won't you come..." Luna's voice drolled. Leni dropped her shoulders in disbelief.

"WHAT? How am I supposed to get-?...Oh right! Lisa!" Leni deduced. Happily she ran to the steps. Lynn's eyes followed her figure even as she skipped up to the second floor and then looked back at Luna and shook her head. If she had less on her mind she might have tried to stay and dig out some information as to how Luna had ended up in the state she was in, but given the more persistent nagging at her brain she had little choice other than to return to her search.

Slinking into the living room again she darted her eyes around and listened intently. At first there was nothing. Just the far off noises of some rummaging on the second floor and some conversation going on between her parents in their room. But then she heard it again. That faint murmur of a noise. She snapped her head towards the fireplace and almost jumped out of her skin. The girl curled up inside of it had been practically invisible with how still she was and how dark her clothes were. Trying to remain hidden herself, Lynn somersaulted over the arm of the couch into a laying position and peered into the darkness of the sooty opening in the wall. Just barely she could make out another figure placed beside the younger girl, that one being made out of some hard material which only containing a head and shoulders.

"Sigh..." Lucy said halfway between a moan and a grumble, "Edwin...I...don't know what to do...I've been nice to him...I've gotten help...but nothing works..." Lynn's previously elated face was nowhere to be seen upon hearing the information. "Gotten help"? the words repeated in Lynn's head. She'd attempted something else with Lincoln? And still he was carrying on with his dismissal? Lynn's eyes narrowed into a glare. She could feel the adrenaline begin to pump once more. "He just hates me Edwin..." Lucy's voice shuddered, "He...hates me..."

Lucy was burying her face into the hard chest of the vampire's bust when she heard a thumping sound. Quickly she popped her head out of the fireplace to look around. Had someone been there with her? Had they...heard her? Hesitation flashed through her as she fully exited the hollow to investigate. It didn't take long for her to notice the front door of the house that was now rocking back from where it'd been thrown open. With her mind flipping through the options of who it might have been that had rushed out, Lucy slinked out onto the porch to see if she could find any clues. Sure enough, Lola and Lana were currently bewitched by a scene that had been ignited from where they'd been playing at towards the side of the house. As she drew closer she could make out voices. One male and one female. And the male one did not seem all that happy.

"Okay, look, I don't know what your deal is today, but I got places to be," Lincoln spat.

"Oh I bet you do," Lynn cooed back, "Lemme guess, Gus' Games n' Grub?" The pause in his voice was enough to sense the nervousness in his silence. The flustering was only further confirmed by his image as Lucy rounded the corner of the house to get a view of the scene. Lola and Lana were whispering between each other excitedly.

"Why'd you even think I'd be back here?" Lincoln grumbled.

"Saw the busted-up spaceship out here when I got back," Lynn told him. She was twirling a basketball in place on one of her fingers. Lincoln glanced over to where it had impacted Luna's head earlier. He'd actually forgotten about it. Lynn may have figured that he was outside due to its location, but truth-be-told, all he'd done was just exited through the back of the house to start his walk to the Arcade. The reason however did nothing to change the fact that the boyish sister had decided to block his path. He really did not understand why she had been so hostile that day, but he was ready for it to be done.

"Kay, well, this has been nice but I gotta get-"

"Oh you wish," Lynn murmured, her expression dropping to a threatening glower. Wearing a face of his own annoyance, Lincoln attempted to walk past the girl, but instead clutched his stomach and dropped to his knees. His breath sucked in a wheeze as the basketball bounced off to the ground from where it'd hit him in the stomach and landed back in Lynn's hands. "You ain't goin' anywhere Stinkin'. I need a basketball partner and you," she declared as she tossed the ball again, this time into his forehead knocking him over onto his back, "Are it!" Triplicated images of the sky swirled around in his vision from the blow. His arm wobbling, Lincoln pulled out his walkie-talkie and held it up to the side of his head.

"DDR King...it's Virtual Hoop...mayday...I...don't think I can make it..." the boy mumbled through his discombobulation.

"You got that right!" Lynn exclaimed. With a grunt the walkie-talkie flew out of Lincoln's hand as the basketball slammed into his stomach again. Painfully he rolled across the driveway grabbing at his body. He began to get to his knees but felt another impact from the rubbery object at his shoulder spinning him around slightly. Lola and Lana's eager faces had become a series of winces and gaping mouths at the sudden roughness. Lucy felt a surge flash across her in her viewership and the twins jumped at the sight of her as she glided past them. Lynn didn't even notice the newcomer until she lifted the ball for another strike and Lincoln tensed up to brace for it. It took a few seconds, but eventually his curiosity tested the lack of action by allowing his eye to crack open for a look. He was just as surprised as Lynn by the extended hand from behind her that was keeping her arm from moving. Gritting her teeth, Lynn jerked her limb back and whirled around to see who would dare to keep her from her target. Just as the twins, she jumped at the sight of the dreary girl, but more due to the unexpectedness of who it'd been rather than her sudden arrival.

"Lucy?..." Lincoln asked under his breath, his vision finally focusing back into a more precise image. While everyone was bated with surprise, one had her concentration more forced to scrutiny than the others. It came as no surprise to her that Lucy had made the actions she had once she'd made herself known, but Lana was just as adamant to see what the goth was going to do as Lola or Lincoln. Lynn would have been on their level of intrigue if she hadn't been growing in aggravation towards the interruption.

"Stop," Lucy said. Lynn's eyes peered into her unseen ones.

"Why?" she challenged.

"Because..." Lucy mumbled. She took a glance over the older girl's shoulder in her thoughts. Lincoln gave a look of disapproval and worry back to her. "I...need him for something..."

"Well get in line sister, it's my turn," Lynn smirked as she pointed out the current "activity" he was "helping" her with, "Stinkin's my Basketball "buddy" at the moment." Lynn turned back to her brother to reel the ball back.

"No," Lucy said. Lynn's face went blank for a moment. Then was overcome by a scowl. Angrily she reversed her previous motion and stuck her face up to Lucy's.

"What'd you say?" she spat, daring the goth to repeat herself.

"I said no," Lucy said again. Lynn's eye twitched. Even now, after the entire day that she'd had to go through, Lucy was still sticking her neck out for the boy. Even after the troubles he'd caused with The Assistant-Bot. Even after the way he'd dismissed her in the bathroom. Even after whatever he'd done to cast her away into the sanctuary of the fireplace, she still supported him. And stood in defiance of her. She who'd stabbed back at him. She who'd spent the entire day aggravating him. She who'd done everything she could to get back at him for Lucy to show her the deserved payback in light of the detriments she'd suffered from him. And still she refused to allow her the acknowledgment she deserved from her.

"Yeah, well what are YOU gonna do about it?" Lynn growled. Lucy stumbled back a few steps from the push Lynn gave her face with her own. Lucy's default frown dripped further down her face.

"I'll play you for him," she replied. Any inspection Lana was giving the pale girl's actions vanished at the words she'd just said. The jaws of her and her twin dropped as they glanced to each other in disbelief. Lincoln figured that his ears must have still been ringing from the blows he'd received. He couldn't have heard her right. All eyes turned to Lynn as she broke the pause with a burst of laughter. It wasn't long before it'd subsided into more controlled chuckles. Noticing Lucy's preserved expression of sternness Lynn gave her an odd look. "If you win you can go back to doing this and if I win I get to have him," Lucy stated.

"...wait are you...serious?" Lynn asked as she tilted her head. Lucy balled up her fists in a show of intimidation only earning her another curt "HA!" in response. "Play me?" Lynn scoffed, "Uhuh, yeah, right. In what, basketball?" Lucy nodded. Lynn looked to the other sisters present but they'd become caught up in a series of energetic whispers before darting off towards the house to call for the rest of their siblings. With the audience gone, Lynn turned her attention back to Lucy and, after another unsure look, spread a grin across her lips. "Well, ya can't back at now," she told her. Not only would she get to continue her riling on Lincoln, but now she'd be able to show his supporter just who the sibling to idolize was firsthand with the skills she'd be displaying. To her surprise however, Lucy showed no sign of anxiousness. Her look remained firm. Just beyond Lynn, Lucy could see Lincoln who had finally slouched himself into a sitting position. The disapproval in his eyes was gone. All he had left in them was worry.

* * *

Luna Loud stepped forth from the house, her head wobbling with each collision her feet made against the ground and he jaw slacked open. Her face seemed to be plastered with a blank stare of shock and her shirt's left elbow had been obliterated leaving it to flop in her movements. Shortly after she was followed by an equally as battered Leni, though her lowered mentality had likely been what had preserved a better grasp on her standard personality. Smoke even sizzled from Lisa who scurried out behind them, though she had been prepared for the ordeal and had come out in much better shape when she had had to reverse the effects of the black-hole generator that Leni had gotten for the musician. For what it was worth however, that had apparently been the final thing that Luna had needed to be able to return to an active state. Taking pride in the knowledge of how she had helped the younger sibling, Leni smiled and, noticing movement out of the corner of her eye, she looked to the side of the house.

"Ooo! A game!" she exclaimed noticing the crowd that had begun to form, mostly comprised of members of the family. Luna just stared into the street ahead of the house and blinked one of her eyes slowly and then the other. Her brain was still trying to climb back into her head.

"Interesting," Lisa noted as she too eyed the event. Two figures stood in the driveway between their house and Mr. Grouse's while one of the figures bounced a ball up and down against the pavement. "It seems to be a competition using a dribbling sphere," she informed from her study as she caught sight of the hoops attached to the sides of their house and their neighbor's, "Street Name: Basketball..."

Luna's head tilted so far to the side that her ear was practically pointed into the sky. Lisa. That's the name of the one that had just talked. Leni. That was the blond haired one. But...not the...not the oldest one. No...Leni was the...the...not-as-smart member. Luna blinked her eyes one by one again. Lori was the oldest. Then Luan and herself were before Leni and Lori...which would make her Luna. The rockstar...yeah, that was it. Her eyelids halved so naturally that she felt like she was going to just close them, but it'd really been a show of concentration. Why...was she like this? What had...happened? Why had she been pulled out of splinter between dimensions alongside an awestruck Leni who had been delighted to see her moving?

Thinking on the questions sent a pulse of agony across her cranium. Cringing, Luna rubbed the area of her head that the sensation seemed to emanate from. As her finger brushed the bump beneath her hair, her eyes widened. The music. The guitar. Mr. Grouse. Baby Come Back. She blinked her eyes again, this time more in-sync than they had been. It all came back like a flood breaking through a dam. She'd been playing the guitar and then BAM. Nothing. Viciously Luna shook her head.

"Is that Lucy?" Leni asked, now walking towards the match. Excitedly, Luna turned her head to look in the direction that the others had taken interest in. Sure enough she could see the sister she'd been helping earlier standing in front of the sport-nut of the family with a grin on Lynn's face.

"...brah...what da fuck?" Luna mumbled as she approached the scene herself, "...how long was I out?...what'd I miss?..." Both participants of the "arena" took notice of the newcomers, but show'd no sign of recognition. They just stood there staring at each other while Lynn dribbled the ball. Occasionally she'd break the pattern to show off some fancy move or circle around her opponent with the ball in one of her taunts, but Lucy remained motionless. Lynn had to admit, the lack of reaction was a bit...annoying. But she couldn't blame the girl. After all, anyone that knew her would be frozen with fear if they'd somehow been dealt into a match against her.

And Lucy was probably thinking about how to get out of the issue with some dignity the more that audience-members showed up. At first it'd just been the brother. Their prize. Once Lola and Lana had made their run through the house though it'd increased to a sizeable amount of the household. Lori, the twins, their parents, and even Lily had somehow found her way to the perimeter of the conflict. But then other people from the neighborhood had started to join in once word started getting around and people started seeing that someone was going up against the local sports-champion. Clyde had rushed over once he'd heard the S.O.S. from his friend, and along with him, his dads had shown up. Even some of the Yates kids had popped in for a look.

"It's alright if you wanna back out ya know," Lynn told her roommate, "most won't know about you chickening out of this stupid arrangement of yours." Lynn grinned as she eyed the growing crowd but dropped the expression when she looked back at Lucy. The goth was as emotionless as ever. "I mean it's not like you got anything to lose..." Lynn continued as she bounced the ball, "trust me, he ain't worth it." Lucy's head didn't move, but Lincoln knew she looked at him when she said that. He could feel their eyes connect for a moment. Sharing her brief blush at the exchange, he turned his head, though that didn't last too long as he didn't want too much suspicion to arise about the motivation of the match. While he returned his face to the participants, it slumped towards the height of his shoulders nervously. Contention on her lips, Lynn bounced the ball again. "Ya know, Edwin did get quite a number done on-"

"Are you gonna play or is your plan to just keep talking until I get bored and walk away?" Lucy asked. Lynn's mouth widened as did the few in the audience that had heard the remark. Within seconds, her teeth had clenched against each other so hard that it felt like cracks had begun to form in them. She couldn't believe her ears. Had the girl five years her junior seriously just taunted her like that? About BASKETBALL? Her grin gone, Lynn's dribbling sped up. A number of the siblings watched in concern, but still any fear there might have been for the older competitor remained unreadable on Lucy's face. If anything she looked bored, an expression that only added fuel to Lynn's intimidation. She was not going to just stand there and allow her the satisfaction such mockery. Even if it had been a match to show displeasure towards Lincoln, Lucy had still been the one to challenge her. And Lucy's question had weeded her out as the more prominent target for the time being.

Not even bothering with a starting signal, Lynn charged forward as the ball repeatedly batted against the ground from her dribbles. It was only seconds that it took to cover the space between Lucy and herself but it felt like minutes. She kept waiting for the black and white figure to make a move, ANY move, but none occurred. Lynn squinted in anticipation as she got within centimeters of her, and as she passed by her side time seemed to slow to a near-stop. The crowd's nervous breath weighted the air with suspense while Lynn's head stayed facing Lucy's. And for a few brief milliseconds her heart even felt as though it'd stopped as she caught sight of something through the strands of Lucy's hair. An obscure reflective surface that looked directly back at her. Directly INTO her.

Lynn might have actually stopped moving from the harrowing glimpse she'd gotten had her feet not pulled her back into the path they'd been taking through reality's normal time-frame. As she forced her face back towards the net she'd been headed towards, confidence overrode the stint of tenseness from her forbidden peek and pressed her grin back onto her face. Even the ball seemed lighter once she'd made it past the smaller girl. Lynn would never have just stood there and allowed her opponent to make a free shot in front of EVERYBODY, but if Lucy was fine with embarrassing herself, who was she to pass up the opportunity given to her? With a jump, Lynn thrust her arms forward to launch the ball. As she hit the ground, she heard the flap of the hoop's lining followed by the hollow "pock" of the ball falling to its own point of impact.

Time froze once more, but for a shorter time it felt. The sound had come from the hoop connected to her house. Lynn's mind almost snapped in half at the realization and did its best to convince her that her ears had simply placed the sounds at the wrong location. But even as she turned around she could only affirm the lie's validity from the swaying of the hoop that had been behind her. Lucy's hoop. And at the center of the "court", the returning basketball rolled over to the younger Loud's feet from where it'd dropped through her target. All Lynn could do was stare, alongside the rest of the crowd, in utter shock as Lucy turned to face her.

"Nice shot Loud!" Mr. Grouse shouted from his window disrupting the rising silence.

"Best two out of three?" Lucy asked with a shrug. Lynn's jaw dropped. If she hadn't seen the aftermath of the shot she wouldn't have believed what the crowd had viewed with equal surprise. When had she gotten the ball? How had she made the shot? Questions would not stop filling her head in wake of the miracle that'd been performed. There was no way that she could have grabbed the ball. There was no way that she could have scored the first shot! There was no way she could have scored ANY shot against HER! Disbelief gave way to anger as Lynn stomped over the Lucy. She had to have cheated. She HAD to have. How she did, Lynn had no idea, but she couldn't stand being made a fool in her own territory.

Showing no more emotion than normal, Lucy picked the ball up and held it out to her as Lynn walked past, it being snatched from her hands in the process. Being sure to take a breath to try and regain some stability to her nerves, Lynn turned around and started dribbling the ball, her eyes glaring at Lucy. Again she just stood there in front of her with no indication that she was even going to move. That only worsened the spite. It was as if she was physically taunting with her disinterest, and it only cemented the fact that she couldn't have gotten the ball from her. Not on her own. There had to have been some sort of device set up by Lisa or something that had grabbed it and given it to her. She had no idea how they'd had time to prepare, but that was the only explanation! Looking to the audience though did little to prove the theory as the second-youngest of the family was staring with just as much awe as everybody else. The entire mass of faces was still trying to recover from the unforeseen twist in the event.

But Lynn was determined to make sure it would not happen again. More focused on Lucy this time, she ran towards her, ball dribbling. Again she passed her but she did her best not to look at her face in fear of catching sight of whatever lay beneath the hair of the girl that wafted in the wind Lynn created in her run. Lynn's heart settled more comfortably than it had on the last passing, but it soon began to pump excitedly. Looking down solidified Lynn's fear and she whirled around unable to comprehend how the ball had disappeared from her grasp and into the goth's who was now bouncing it up and down next to her. The audience was absolutely silent at the second marvel she'd performed and as she turned her head to the side she directed a smile to the girl behind her. Lynn had hardly ever felt so many emotions battling for control of her body. Anger, shock, anxiety, excitement. All of those and more crept beneath her skin spinning her stomach in place and trying to dictate her brain .

Apparently having had enough of the show, Lucy turned her face back to her hoop and made another shot. Lynn couldn't believe the cleanness of it. The ball didn't hit the rim. It just went straight in and hit the ground below, and without Lucy's legs ever having moved the entire match! Having been exposed to the notion of her victories from the prior shot, desensitization set over the crowd and allowed a thunderous applause to fill the space between the houses. The few that didn't join in were still reeling from the impossible contention she was giving her roommate. Lynn Sr.'s face eventually did brighten up at the sporty duel he was viewing, but his son continued to watch in wonder. He didn't know how Lucy was doing it, but she was giving Lynn a match. And WINNING. Lucy couldn't help but give a glance to the crowd to bask in the glory, but as her eyes landed on Lincoln's she stalled the viewing and he in turn felt the connection to her optics. He dipped his head back a bit and blushed but she could see a small smile give her his allowance before she broke out of the trance and moved on, her own face overcome with a brief prideful pink.

Lynn however was far from such a state. Her teeth sawed back and forth and her arms twitched. It looked as though steam might start billowing out of her ears. Whatever was happening it was not doing her looks any favors. Lucy picked up the returning ball again but this time Lynn yanked it right out of her hands before she had time to even lift back up.

"I don't know what you're doing," Lynn hissed pressing her face against Lucy's, "but you are NOT making me look like an idiot in front of everyone!"

"You're right," Lucy agreed, "I'm not the one doing that." Lynn stared at her for a second as her mind registered just what the girl meant. Furiously she stomped back to her side of the court and turned around to let out a yell of anger before slamming the ball into the ground. A rather cross look painted her face as she caught the object on its way back down from the bounce she'd given it. The fury only grew as Lynn caught sight of a smile that flashed across Lucy's face. That set her blood to a boiling point. Rage swimming throughout her body, Lynn dribbled the ball faster than ever and moved her feet to match. That had done it. She was through playing around against such a cheater. As quickly as possible she rushed by Lucy, this time further out. But it hadn't been enough. Sensing the lightness in her grip, Lynn spun around in her pace and spotted the ball bouncing in Lucy's.

"Don't you dare!" Lynn yelled trying to speed towards her. But it was no use. Feeling the oncoming attacker, Lucy took her shot and stepped to the side allowing Lynn to only grab at the air in her passing as the ball fell through Lucy's hoop. Lynn's scream of anger was drowned out by the avalanche of cheers around them. As fury overrode her senses, Lynn grabbed the returning sphere and threw it at the younger girl. Lucy just lifted her hand causing the ball to bounce off of her palm, hit the ground, and spring back into Lynn's startled grasp. Lynn gave a few blinks before grunting incoherently and returning to her spot. Lucy could hear the air seething in and out through the older girl's nostrils but just smiled at the displeasure, an act that only caused the noise to grow. "I'm...going...to...kill...you..."

"Oh...if I'd know that'd been part of the deal I'd have brought a thank you card," Lucy mused. The rims of Lynn's eyes widened in anger from the response to the vain threat. As Lynn attempted another go, a figure that had been watching from a distance slipped into the rows of people. Though at first curious about the congregation in the house's driveway, Luan's interest shifted towards what the rest of the people had been watching as she'd neared. Any discontent that she had retained from her exit earlier had been alleviated upon spotting the shots that Lucy had been making and the growing frustrations of her brown-haired adversary. Never had anybody seen someone local give Lynn, of all people, reason to fret when it came to sports. But it was happening, and Luan would've been damned if she was going to miss the once-in-a-lifetime event.

"Wow, Lucy's really dribbling her basket," Luan grinned. The sister standing next to her perked her head up at the sound of her voice.

"Well, look who's back," Lori smirked, "Beni "calm you down"?" Luan's face scrunched in annoyance but relaxed it after some thought.

"I dunno. Does Bobby do it for you?" Luan shot back coating Lori's face with red. Lori thought about punching the younger girl but just folded her arms over her chest and focused on the game granting Luan some payback. On the field her theatre-protegee was experiencing her own continued dominance. Lynn's latest attempt had been obstructed despite the distance she'd put between her and Lucy. She didn't know how, but Lucy had had little trouble catching up to her dash around the perimeter of the "field". With a smile she'd moved a hand out to the front of them causing Lynn to pull her dribbles back slightly, but that had only served to land it in the grasp of Lucy's other hand that she had had ready for when she knew Lynn would react to the motion.

Lynn attempted to grab back at the ball, but Lucy switched the hand that was dribbling it. Feeling that she might as well make the most of the opportunity, Lucy slowed and began walking backwards towards her basket, the ball now hitting the space between her feet with each step she took and dribble she made. Lynn gawked at the prowess but returned to her hateful expression as she leaped towards the younger girl to grab at the ball again. Before her hands could touch it, Lucy switched the direction of the latest bounce and simply let it hit the ground beneath the hand instead of making it move to the other one. Having not obtained the ball, Lynn then swiped at the hand that was still using it causing Lucy to switch it to the other one in a bounce. Lynn tried the other and it switched again. Then she pretended to grab at the one that was using it to get Lucy to move it to the other where she made her real grab but all she was met with was empty space. Lucy had kept the ball bouncing in place instead of falling prey to her bluff.

"Boomshakalaka," Lucy said dryly as she halfheartedly put her free fist into the air next to her. All Lynn could see was red. But she couldn't do anything about it. She had no idea why she'd been thrust into this nightmare. There was no other option than to endure it however. She couldn't back down. Her pride would not allow that. Not towards someone that she should be kicking the ass of, and certainly not with everybody watching. All she could do was flail around helplessly as her reputation was shattered to pieces in front of her. But she wouldn't be walking away empty-handed. She couldn't! If nothing else she was owed answers for her suffering!

"WHY?!" Lynn spat. Lucy tilted her head as she skipped back once. Had the crowd been quiet enough to hear the remark they'd have probably chalked it up to her anger towards the situation, but Lucy felt it was a more...personal question. "Why!?" she repeated quieter, but with more of a hiss to her voice, "Why the fuck are you defending him!? After what he's done! After what happened to Edwin! I've been giving him exactly what he deserves so why the hell are you so against it?!" The dribbling stopped and Lucy just held the ball to her chest after it'd bounced into the air for a final time. It was a blatant disregard to the nature of the game, but neither girl was paying much attention to that with Lynn's rising fury. The more important matter had risen to the surface.

"Why?" Lucy murmured back. Only Lynn could hear her in the distance they had between each other. "People make mistakes. It's not like Lincoln came into the room and ruined Edwin himself. He'd never hurt someone like that through something they liked, at least not someone that didn't deserve such a fate," Lucy told her. Some of the audience that had noticed the talking had quieted a bit to try and hear the conversation but the remaining cheers continued to cloud their ears. "I think he made up for it by incapacitating the machine that did cause the damage. And aside from that, I'm sure he's done more than enough for everyone in the family to earn him some leniency." Lynn's body felt like it should take a step back from the darker tone her opponent had begun to take, but couldn't as it'd have given a sign of submission to her inevitable loss. Not even looking at the basket, Lucy threw the ball into the air behind her where it dropped through her hoop and bounced back into her other hand after hitting the ground. Now Lynn did take a step back.

"So knock-," Lucy began as she threw the ball once more, but this time at Lynn herself. With a yelp she bent her knees from the surge of the impact that hit her feet.

"-it-" the ball launched again, this time into her stomach knocking the wind out of her with a grunt.

"-OFF!"

With a 'crack', the ball soared right between Lynn's eyes and connected with her forehead snapping her head back as she was launched off of her feet and toppled onto the ground behind her. Trembling with anger, sorrow, and confusion, Lynn's shaking body tried to wobble into a sitting position, but at about the halfway point she stopped and her eyes rolled back into her head as she passed out. The following motionlessness filled the crowd with an ominous silence. Then they erupted. Most cheered while a few focused more on the downed opponent. Regardless of their direction of their attention, everybody charged towards the center of the driveway.

Though a couple moved to check on Lynn, the majority were too overcome by the triumph of the unexpected victor that almost everybody clamored around the dark girl. Unused to such worship, Lucy was rather still as the various hands grabbed at her and threw her into the air. From the height she was given Lucy could see a surprising view of the neighborhood. She could see the roofs of sheds, the tops of vehicles, Mr. Grouse cheering next to her from his window. Over the next few throws a smile sprouted across her face. She had reason to feel the pride she had. Once the crowd's throwing had finally died down, she was left to stumble about on the ground among the handshakes and high-fives she was offered. The jubilations went on for a good five-to-ten minutes and were still somewhat collected around the rims of the "arena" even after Lynn had been taken inside. Lucy could feel her senses returning to her as the dream-like scene began to wear off. But there was a final exchange that broke her from the daze entirely.

"Hey," a slightly older male voice called. Lifting her brows, Lucy turned to see Lincoln standing along the edge of the driveway. Hands in his pockets, he kicked the ground bashfully. As she watched the motions, Lucy felt the lining of her face heating a bit. But the focus on the lone figure allowed her to notice something else. A noise. In the distance was the jingle of some ice cream truck. Having apparently been the reason he'd tried to get her attention, Lincoln jabbed his thumb back and gave her an inquisitive look. Smiling, Lucy nodded and joined him as he took off to begin the search for the vehicle.

* * *

The setting sun cast long shadows across the pavement of the streets. One such shadow departed from another as the larger one it had come from started up its interrupted jingle and began moving in the opposite direction. It didn't take long for the humanoid one that remained to make its way to the one of a nearby tree where its owner sat on a bench at the tree's base. Taking a lick of his ice cream cone, Lincoln handed another to the shorter figure that had been sitting there.

"Mmm...chocolate..." Lucy hummed taking her own lick.

"With a bit of "blood" on top," Lincoln winked pointing out the strawberry syrup. Realizing the intent, Lucy lifted a hand to her cheek.

"You know me so well," she cooed. Looking to the side, Lincoln's mouth spread into a rather nervous smile. For a time the two just sat there enjoying the sweet treats. About halfway through his cone however, Lincoln slowed his devouring and turned his eyes downward.

"...Lucy...look I..." he began.

"No, it's...sigh..." Lucy responded in the search for her own sentence. Nervously the pair fidgeted. "I...get it...I...messed up...and you...sigh..." Looking over to her, Lincoln could feel the pained guilt vibrating from her tightening arms. It was a sense that he'd had to witness a couple of times throughout the day, but that he'd ignored in his lingering distaste from the night before. Now though he couldn't. To Lucy's surprise she felt an arm wrap around her neck. She didn't even bother to look at Lincoln, once the motion had fully registered she collapsed her body against his and nuzzled her face into his chest. Lincoln didn't mind that she'd mashed the remains of her ice cream into his shoulder, he just put the other arm around her head.

"Hey, it's...alright...I shouldn't have been like how I was today...it was just...yeah...you did mess up. But it's not like I hate you or anything," Lincoln told her as he rubbed his cheek against her hair, "I just...needed some time to...cool off..." Had Lucy not been suffocating herself in the warm gesture she could've kicked herself for not listening to her more level-headed adviser. "And your little "fight for my honor" kind of made it impossible for me to stay like that..." he informed. Tilting her head up, she noticed his apologetic expression before trying to wriggle into a position to better hide her blush. "And gotta say, it was pretty nice seeing Lynn get her ass handed to her," he added, "I'm not sure how you did it, but she'd been asking for that all day after the shit she put me through."

"Well...when you've been on the All-Star team..." Lucy reminded in a scarce instance of gloating. Lincoln's mouth became a small "o" as his mind flipped back to that insane period that their parents had put them through.

"Oh my god, I completely forgot about that!" he laughed. Lucy's ego-driven grin softened into a more settled one as she leaned back against his body, her back now to him. "Well, I guess there was at least SOMETHING good that came out of all that Yates-competing garbage," he complimented as he ruffled her hair, a motion that made Lucy glad she was facing away from him, "and don't worry...I know that wasn't you this morning. You didn't have any shampoo to throw..." Lucy looked back at Lincoln and joined him in his glower towards the memory of their mutual adversary.

"Sigh..." Lucy said after a munch on her cone, "...sorry about last night..."

"You've got no reason to be sorry after what you did today," Lincoln told her, "I'm the one that's sorry. I...shouldn't have-"

"No more than I shouldn't have fucked things up to begin with..." Lucy murmured, "it's just that you...that poem was so...sigh..." Now Lincoln was the one that was glad he wasn't being viewed.

"Well...at least it was appreciated if nothing else I guess," he figured pulling her closer against his body from behind, "you have no idea how hard that was to come up with on the spot." Beneath her hair, Lucy's eyes widened to a perimeter that she'd come to expect when being overcome by his surprises.

"...SIGH..." she grumbled, "You know...I can ask about maybe making the act a duet at the theatre next time..." Lincoln just laughed and nuzzled his face against the back of her head. The two finished their cones in relative silence as they sat against each other. "I...didn't really get a chance to say anything once it was over last night..." Lucy told Lincoln as she popped the last bits of her cone into her mouth. Lincoln gave a curious hum to her through his own chewing. "That...boy...he...he's going to that Ball I wanted to go to with him..." Lincoln's eyelids lifted slightly from the information. "Haiku said that he told her that he was going to go in hopes of...finding someone there...since he...didn't have a...a date..." Lucy gave a gulp to dispose of the pieces in her mouth as Lincoln did the same. "...I...understand...after all you've done if you...don't want to help...it's just-" Lucy's sentences was interrupted by a sigh from the older Loud who gave a lukewarm smile.

"So what do we gotta do?" he asked quietly. Lucy's undead heart beat with a renewed vigor as she threw her arms around the boy's body to bury her face into his chest again.

-end of chapter-

That one took a bit of work. Thought I'd get more done quicker since I had a week of vacation from work, but I don't know if that really made much difference since I spent a lot of the time working on things for DeviantArt in my free time and stuff. Still, I'm sure it made it go slightly quicker. Regardless, doubt Lynn's gonna be doing much to Lincoln from here on out, and it looks like the Lucy and him aren't quite done with their "mission" yet. Hope you all enjoyed, and see ya in the next one!


	10. The Gothfather

Chapter 10: The Gothfather

A light breeze sifted through the erected markers and stones littering the land. As with many days, the graveyard lacked life, those of the visiting faction hardly making up for the numbers of those dwelling beneath the ground. The air hung with a quietness befitting such a collection of headstones save for the soft crunching of a couple of pairs of feet across the decaying leaves that had begun to blanket the cemetery. The pair of young interlopers heeded not patience nor care as they clamoured through the rows of stones on the hallowed plot of land. They raced alongside each other in their quest towards a specific part of the land.

The few that were gathered for respects took note of the more eager kids that were making their way across the cemetery, but dismissed it for the youthful antics they appeared to be so that they could return their attention to their own departed subjects. For Lucy and Lincoln they too were on route towards the site of a corpse's resting space, and one that had been there for quite some time, though that was not as evident to those they passed given their more casual demeanors. For Lucy it felt like home, but Lincoln's renewed interest in their revived agenda did stimulate his participation. Besides, any stroll through the graveyard pricked at his memories of the various ghosts he had hunted for there. It may have been a more unorthodox view than visitors were used to, but for the brother and sister it was just their next adventure.

Lincoln might have had some hesitancy towards taking up the partnership with the younger girl again after the conclusion of their previous endeavor, but those worries had only been there for a moment. Even if he'd known they were going to be coursing towards another failure it wouldn't have mattered. His instincts would have made him help. He wanted to help, no matter how much he, in a frustrated state, might have implied otherwise. He would have helped because he loved Lucy. Yeah, she may have blundered in their previous endeavor, but the animosity that came from it wouldn't have lasted. Lincoln knew what it was like to want help, want support, from others and have no one to turn to. He definitely knew that given their siblings. And he would not have wanted her to have to endure such isolation. Not when he could help.

Lincoln almost missed a turn that Lucy had made at one of the gravestones and kicked himself for not remembering the path. It hadn't been the first time either of them had made the treks through the cemetery, and there were only a few markers that Lucy went to for the rituals she sought. Lincoln had had his reservations towards even making the journey as he had not understood just why Lucy would desire such backing for the week ahead, but once she'd insisted on the failure of the last one he'd relented. After all, it's not like whatever ceremony they were to perform would make things any worse than they'd turned out during Goth Mic Night. And with the hill they were headed towards Lincoln pretty much knew which grave they were going to.

As the tree at the top of the hill came into view, Lucy noticed Lincoln poke out ahead of her in his run and put some distance between them before grinning back at her. Giving one her own, she sped up as well, though couldn't quite cover the gap that he'd made. Realizing that the legs were the issue, Lucy grabbed a stick that she passed by and threw it out ahead of her brother. Lincoln only had a split second to realize how it'd pop up between his knees in its bounce, but managed to twirl to the side to avoid it. The toss had put him back a few paces in his advancement, but he still held the lead, if only by a few inches. Lucy had gotten so close that she could almost grab him. And she did. As he jerked to a stop her unexpecting hands collided with his body and instinctively latched onto him causing her still-progressing figure to wrap around his.

"...hello there Miss Loud," Lincoln hummed to break the silence that came in the moments of quietness that swelled from Lucy's cling. Giving an annoyed blush, Lucy let go of him and tucked her head down into her shoulders.

"...I would've won if I hadn't been running so much already when we'd gotten to the hill," she murmured.

"Considering I'd been running that whole time also," Lincoln pointed out. All he heard from her was some grumbles of defeat. Figuring Lincoln could congratulate himself, Lucy tilted her head down towards the object they'd been after. Noticing the tombstone as well, Lincoln perked up another smirk and nudged his elbow against her. "Hey, don't gotta be so "grave" about it," he jested. The unexpected pun popped the goth's head up to stare at him.

"...guh," Lucy scoffed, "What? Are you Luan in disguise or something?" Getting no response, Lucy felt a lump form in her throat. "...okay, NOW I'm serious. ARE YOU?..." she asked as an unease washed across her.

"Gee, I don't know. It'd sure be a "ghost" of a chance to get Lincoln to come out here with ya though!" he grinned. About ten seconds passed as possibilities swam around Lucy's head until she formulated an idea and shot out her hand. The hairs on Lincoln's neck stood on end as he felt Lucy's fingers latch onto the left side of his chest and squeeze. Blushing, he grabbed the hand and pulled it away. "Um...what are you doing?..." he asked in a mixture of discomfort and confusion.

"Seeing which Loud you actually are," she told him as she took her hand back with just as much chiding towards her own actions, "...and giving Luan a bit of payback if it'd been her...for the Helper-Bot thingy last week." The quip hadn't quite been enough to dispel the prevailing awkwardness that Lincoln rubbed his arm with. Lucy too kicked up some dust from her foot to cope with the disconcert. After a few coughs and uneasy fidgets, their eyes came to rest on the gravestone that they had made the journey to see. The marker for the Loud with the first flat feet. Their minds having returned to the matter at hand, Lucy and Lincoln looked at each other and nodded.

"Oh great-great-great-grandfather, Lynwoood Loud, we, your far-off descendants, bring ourselves before you in humbleness to beseech your connection to the realm of spirits in hopes that we may seek favor from them for the tasks that lay ahead," Lucy said as she lifted her hands to the air before the grave.

"Oh, and if you see Grandma Harriet tell her Lori's sorry about the broach!" Lincoln added. One glower from Lucy was all it took to return Lincoln to the "praying" position he had taken up behind her beforehand.

"Sigh," Lucy murmured as she shook her head, "Well, regardless, that should have opened our gate into the realm of the world beyond. Grandpa Lynwood's usually pretty cooperative when it comes to these matters." Taking a deep breath, Lucy lifted her arms even higher. "Spirits! Please! Hear my call and grace us with your blessings. We, those belitted in your presence, ask that you please watch over us in our time of need. With our last week having fallen through in intent, we can only request that this one go better and that, with your allowance, we should succeed. Please spirits!" Having clenched his eyes shut as tightly as possible, Lincoln was a bit surprised when he heard his own breath escape his mouth after the words had concluded. He hadn't noticed he'd been holding it in. Realizing no more words were coming, he popped open his eye.

"...so...uh..." Lincoln murmured wondering if something was supposed to happen.

"Hm...I don't seem to be getting the best connection from this position..." Lucy muttered. Frantically she turned her head around in search of a better placement. Lincoln blinked at her once her eyes had fallen on him.

"Um...what-wha-hey!" he stammered as the girl put her arms on his shoulders and pulled herself onto his back where he was practically forced to wrap his arms around her legs so that she wouldn't slide off. "What the-!"

"Spirits!" Lucy called again now that her hands were a bit higher. But still the desired resonance had not been reached.

"A little warning next-ti-i-immme!" Lincoln tried to tell her as she wriggled on his back. Somehow she managed to climb her feet out of his arms and onto his shoulders as she used the previous holders as steps up to them. Lincoln could hear his shoulders pop from the weight and he gritted his teeth from the pressure. "Luuucccyyy! I d-don't th-think this is a v-very g-good-!"

"SPIRITS!" Lucy's voice hollered across the sky. Her arms however did not stay erect for very long. She was only propped into the air for a few seconds before the boy below her lost balance and toppled backwards. Like a human totem-pole they fell as one object across the hill. Shaking off the impact, Lincoln flipped around and crawled as fast as he could over Lucy.

"Lucy!" he exclaimed as he ran a hand along her cheek and up under the hair blocking the upper half of her face, "Are you okay?!"

"Hm...for some reason the spirits have me on hold," the girl huffed. Lincoln's face dripped to a rather deadpan expression before rolling his eyes. Of course THAT was what her concern was. "Sigh, it's...no matter. I've left our message for them," she told him, having taken the eyeroll as a motion towards her communion with the spirits, "we should be departing in good enough graces."

"If all your bones are intact," Lincoln grumbled. He himself was still rotating his shoulders to work out all the kinks in them.

"If anything was broken it'd only serve as a further venture towards the welcome embrace of death," Lucy told him. Her entrancement with her expiration was pulled away with the arm that Lincoln yanked towards him. Delicately he ran his hand along it causing something in Lucy stomach to swim around.

"Well, believe it or not, there's some of us that actually care about your well-being," he claimed. Lucy's lips pursed as his fingers squeezed a few inches below her elbow. "Nothing feels broken though..."

"That's cause nothing is," Lucy responded as she pulled the arm back to her body to rub it with the other hand, "even so, should there be a grievous injury, we're in quite the appropriate setting for the effects to set in." Lincoln gave a confounded look around them. However morbid it might be, Lucy did always seem to find someway to make the best of a grim concept, and in that setting she was right at home, as were whatever thoughts she might have towards the fatal impressions of the world. Turning his head back to her, Lincoln felt his skin crawl for a moment. He'd seen her sitting across from him countless times throughout his life, but there was something about that...position she held herself in that sent a vibration along his spine. The way she held her arm and tilted her head downwards while her eyes felt as though they stayed locked on him from beneath the position of their lids. It was a look that felt as though it beckoned something from him.

"...so...think this...all worked?" he shrugged in an attempt to dispel the ripples. He almost jumped at the crack in his voice when he started the sentence. Whether Lucy had noticed it or not remained a mystery as she simply readjusted herself to accompany his movements.

"Most likely," she told him. After getting back up she decided to check the arm that Lincoln had squeezed one last time. Not because she was worried about whatever injuries it might have had. No, it was...just for Lincoln's sake. That was all. Noticing no twinges in her search she smiled. As she did so Lincoln had been standing back up interrupting what view he might have had of her inspection. Before he had a chance to take notice of the girl's stroking, her hand had returned to its side and she quickly put both of them behind her back. Lucy tilted her head down a bit when she saw his own hand reach out towards her causing her to give him a confused look.

"It's another week of us being "together"," Lincoln pointed out, "If we're going to spend it getting ready again we may as well start off right and have your "boyfriend" walk ya home." Lucy's mouth opened for a split second as she felt her shoulders jump up.

"Oh-um-yes...of course..." she murmured. Her face hot, she slowly pulled one of the hands out from behind her back and lifted it out to Lincoln who grabbed it. Lucy gulped and sucked in some air through her nostrils. It calmed her enough that she had little trouble in falling into pace next to her brother. Smiling, she gave the hand a squeeze as they got towards the bottom of the hill.

* * *

The room across from Lola and Lana's was rather quiet. The lights had been out for most of the morning to allow the youngest of the family members her undisturbed sleeping, which she had been taking full advantage of. Within Lily's unconscious head she traversed the cosmos with her crew of lively stuffed animals in their most recent adventure to save the universe from whatever threat ailed it. Something had gone awry however. Back near the giant orange planet their fuel thingy had snapped and started leaking all sorts of glippy gloppy goop in their trail back home. It'd only be a matter of time before the Ebil Grar Grars caught up with them and blasted them out of the sky. They had just enough F on their E-F meter to make it to some upcoming moon, but the laser blasts were getting more frequent. A loud ripping sound tore through the rocket as one of the shots collided with their their side and Lily jumped in her seat as a bright flash overtook her and the crew.

Frantically the baby rocked about in her crib unaware that she had been brought back to her room. It didn't help that the noise from the ship had still been ringing in her ears. As the seconds passed however the noise didn't die down at all and, having realized just where she was, Lily looked over the top of her crib to see some glowing hole torn open near Lisa's desk, which the genius herself stepped out from shortly after with a rather large book in her hands. Noticing the awoken roommate, Lisa waved at her before closing the portal down and scuttling to the closest where she put down the book to use as a step-stool once she'd entered it. Upon exiting it she sighed in satisfaction, somehow carrying both the book and the the equipment that she had used it to reach.

"...hm..." Lisa murmured once she had set the equipment on the table next to the Pageant-Judger. Warily she eyed the book and contemplated opening another of the portals to return it. "...eh, I'll get to it later. Heh, not like they're gonna miss it back then as long as I remember to return it," Lisa figured before knocking the book to the ground and kicking it under Lily's crib causing the baby to giggle. As ever, there were more important matters to attended to rather than giving back an object that could be returned at any time given the time-jumping she'd done to get it in the first place. Besides, it's not like Lucy NEEDED it back then. Since nothing in the present had been changed Lisa was sure she'd just hop right back to that time period later that day or something to correct whatever paradox might arise from the travel. Wouldn't have been a problem to begin with of course if the creepy "mystic" of the household had left the book somewhere she could find it in the present time period. But that was neither here nor there. What mattered is now she could get to work on Lola's Pageant-Judger quite a bit in advance to avoid any wrath from the older sibling.

What Lisa truly found to be the priority however had been her latest focus. A device that she'd been experimenting on the fabric of reality with. It was nearing completion. After her caffeine-induced frenzy the day prior and her constant tinkering before the basketball match, she'd made quite a bit of headway. The device itself possessed a few slots on the side for objects to be fed into it and a lens on the top. It wasn't very sizeable given its purpose and could actually be carried around by her simply wrapping her arms around it. The problem though had been the effects. The first few attempts had nearly annihilated her and Lily's room when she'd used it, but after some toiling she'd managed to diminish the chaotic effects which she'd kept in check by a number system above the dial she'd used to edit the output of the machine. Truly it had no real cap to the outflow of its power, but the dial had kept the demonstrations she'd done for herself in check enough as long as she didn't set it too high.

Spotting one of Lily's children books, Lisa grabbed it and inserted it into one of the slots in the side of the machine. After pressing the button above the slots and setting the dial near it to 1, a cartoony-looking tree popped out of the floor next to Lisa's bed. Lily gave it a confused look, completely unsure as to why they had just acquired a new decoration. Grinning, Lisa turned the dial to 3 and some more cartoony features began to dot the room. More trees lined the rim of it and a stream of root beer began to flow from underneath Lisa's bed. Lily had started laughing. The scientist's mouth now stretching to her ears, Lisa turned the dial up to 7. With a hum, the room seemed to expand as monkeys made of soda cans and elephants comprised of 2-liter bottles for the bodies appeared and stampeded around them.

Now Lisa's expression reversed and frantically she reached for the device. The effects were beginning to become too drastic. Before she could get to it however, the machine was knocked across the oasis they were now in. Lily meanwhile was having the time of her life. She didn't know if she had returned to slumber or if she was truly in the book Lincoln would sometimes read to her, but she was having quite a bit of fun riding the elephant she was on. Desperately, Lisa hopped across a row of hippos in the stream next to her to make it to where the device had landed. She got to it just as she noticed a shadow below it and herself and looked up to see Lily's elephant about to smash her into the ground with its foot.

Letting out a yelp, Lisa slammed her hand into the button on the machine. In a flash the scenery and animals vanished and the book was spat out from the slot she'd put it into. Remembering the placement of her sister, Lisa looked up again and practically jumped to meet Lily as she fell down from her now nonexistent ride. Lisa felt a large amount of relief wash over her as Lily started clapping and laughing again, completely unaware of just what all had gone on. Once she'd returned the baby to her crib, Lisa eyed her contraption and shook her head.

"Still got some work to do..."

* * *

"Dude, don't worry, it's not like I'm being held hostage again tonight," Lincoln yammered away into his walkie-talkie as he and Lucy stepped into the house, "Oh yeah, that was just awesome to watch. I still can't believe she did it. Hey, she's actually right here. Lucy, do you want to-"

"Pass," the drearier companion told him putting a hand into the air between them to keep the conversation from spreading beyond its current participants. With a shrug, Lincoln returned to the device.

"But yeah, don't worry Clyde. I'll DEFINITELY be there tonight...yeah, you too man. See ya then." Lincoln continued to hold the contraption to his head until he could hear static and shoved the, what seemed to be, impossible-to-fit walkie-talkie back into his pocket. It didn't take long for him to notice Lucy's stare towards where the device had disappeared into.

"...so...how's that work exactly? Do you just keep it with you constantly?" Lucy wondered aloud, "Because I can guarantee I've seen you in getups that you absolutely SHOULDN'T be able to hide that inside of. And sometimes you just seem to pull it out from behind your back..."

"Eh, just shows up when I need it. You know how it is," Lincoln replied, "I mean there's always you and your cards and crystal ball and whatnot."

"Touche," Lucy murmured. As inconspicuously as possible she patted her own holding spaces until her head lifted up and she shot Lincoln a suspicious glance. "Wait...that was about...hanging out with Clyde wasn't it?..."

"Of course," Lincoln smiled but soon bent it in the opposite direction, "...why?..."

"Sigh. Lincoln, we need to practice for the...our...um..." Lucy's words trailed off in the heat that had risen in her face, "...you know..." Lincoln's face too joined her's in color but to a much lesser degree with the eyeroll he gave.

"Luce, that's at the end of the week," he reminded.

"So was Goth Mic Night last week..." she retorted. Lincoln put his hands on his hips. He could tell that the issue wasn't one that'd just be fading off.

"It's just a little trip to Gus' Games n' Grub," Lincoln assured her.

"And Wednesday was just Lisa's Assistant-Bot. And Thursday was just Lola's attempt at murder," Lucy added. Lincoln narrowed his eyes at her.

"...I wouldn't say "JUST" Lisa's Assistant-Bot," Lincoln muttered, "that was NOT an EASY thing to take care of there..." It was likely how into the debating that he'd become that made him as surprised as he was when he felt the younger Loud's arms wrap around his body. He blushed as his face became buried in her hair.

"And any that know of what you did are thankful for that..." she told him. Bashfully he rubbed the back of his head and coughed. Lincoln looked around the room to make sure no one was present to view the unusual display of affection from the girl.

"Yeah..." Lincoln mumbled as he put his hands on Lucy's arms and pulled her off of him, "and we were able to make progress even with all that stuff getting in the way..." His brows bent inward a bit as he saw Lucy's head dip slightly. "Look, I can-...I can even do this...already halfway there..." Lincoln told her as he dropped the emotion from his voice to voice the more empty persona he'd taken on during Goth Mic Night.

"...sigh..." Lucy muttered, "Lincoln, I don't want to be the one to tell you this but...your lifelessness could use some work." Lincoln blinked.

"...WHAT?" he exclaimed in disbelief. Lucy put a finger up to one of her strands of hair and began to twirl it shyly.

"D-don't get me wrong. It's...serviceable. Any girl would be fortunate to have such a versed poet staving off such energy from his vocals..." Lucy admitted as she pushed her cheek into her shoulder. Her body was starting to feel a bit itchy. "It's just that...sigh...it's not natural enough...you force it too much...the way you give your speech, the mannerisms...even your walk betrays you..." Lincoln's jaw had been lowering further and further throughout the criticisms. First she'd been disagreeable with his trip to see Clyde and then she railed on him about his performance? "You give it an admirable shot, but...it's not enough...not for...the Ball..." she continued. Lincoln felt his face flush as Lucy stepped up to him again and grasped one of his hands in her's. "For that...we need to make it so that you are properly experienced in how I am...need to have you act...as close to my...traits as possible in movement and mentality if you are to..." Lucy felt a lump in her throat and Lincoln gave his inner lip a light chew, "...be...mine..."

The world rolled to a stop. It felt like hours that Lucy and Lincoln stood looking at each other, Lincoln's hand in her's. The itchiness of Lucy's body had crawled across her like an instant rash and had spread to the boy before her as well, though its presence faded more quickly than she'd thought it would. They didn't even try to hide their blushes from each other. There was no use in doing so. They both knew the effects they should be feeling from such words and were entangled in the discomfort together. Slowly, Lincoln's eyes drifted down to their hands where he felt Lucy give his a squeeze, an action that prodded him to do the same to her's which returned her fading color to her. With a gulp she dulled it back and flipped her head to the side.

"Um...yes..." she coughed letting go of her brother's grip, "We...sigh..." A bit sympathetic towards the desperation, Lincoln put his hands into his pockets and kicked the ground a few times.

"Luce...look I..." he mumbled, his words still dotted with awkwardness, "...sigh..." That perked the goth's head up and she turned to look at him again. "Alright yeah...we probably should get to work," he said with a half-hearted smile. Again he wasn't ready for the tight hug he received, this time with some more nuzzling into his chest and throat from the girl's head. Rolling his eyes, he gave the head a pat and nuzzled his nose into it.

"HONEY! Get the camera! Lucy's hugging someone again!" a voice hollered. Immediately both kids' eyelids snapped to their full width and they broke off from each other. "Hurry! I don't know how long it'll-" their father continued his excited request until he popped his head back into the living room to see the two unraveled and waving at him, "...ugh...double dang it...Nevermind honey..." Defeated, Lynn Sr. slunk back into the kitchen to continue the meal he'd been working on.

"Sigh..." the duo said together in relief before noticing the unison and smiling at each other. Delicately Lucy slipped her hand back into Lincoln's and nudged her head towards the stairs. Nodding, Lincoln followed in her grip and hopped up them with her. He may have wanted to hang out with his friend, but that was a pretty regular thing for him. It's not like he and Clyde wouldn't have other days to do so, and he hadn't exactly agreed upon not seeing the boy to begin with. But, if it came down to it...he'd probably drop that for her...at least until the whole issue was finally done with. And with her...clinging, the notions of straying were growing more distant.

Lincoln wasn't quite sure what all the training Lucy had planned might entail. He assumed it was some dance but...probably more gloomy. But apparently it was a big enough deal that Lucy had felt the need to point out the flaws in his "act". That, or she just REALLY wanted to make sure that they got EVERYTHING right. Lincoln smiled at the back of the girl's head. After the bothersome bits of it, she could be kind of cute when she got panicky, if only because it did show some true emotion beyond her veil of apathy. Another spark of emotion jolted from Lucy again, but this time one more from a direct reaction. As the two reached the final step, Lucy jumped backwards and pulled Lincoln with her to avoid being hit by the small speeding pink car that rushed through the hall.

"Hey, I'm drivin' here!" Lola's voice barked as the vehicle retreated down the hall. More cautiously now, Lincoln and Lucy peeked out from behind the wall of the staircase to analyze the hazards that might impede them. Aside from Lola's racing, Leni was repeatedly walking into the wall next to Luna and Luan's room each time she bounced off of it and Luan was practicing some juggling with a batch of eggs. Once Lola had rushed by again, Lincoln and Lucy nodded to each other and leaped at her door. Before the young blond girl could run them down in her next lap, Lincoln and Lucy slipped into the room and pressed their backs against the wall they'd just passed through. They only let the air out of their lungs upon hearing the motorized toy rev by.

Then it sucked in new air and held it again. Laying there on the bed opposite of Lucy's was the room's other inhabitant, the ball she'd been throwing at the wall now clutched in her hand as her eyes stared back at them, its view starting to pulse an unpleasant distaste from her thoughts. Lincoln and Lucy wanted to see how the other might be gesturing under the circumstances but didn't dare take their eyes away from Lynn. Their lips tightened as the older girl rolled into a position to put her feet on the ground and get up. Lincoln gulped while Lucy's hand reached vainly for his a few times before giving up. For as...unhealthy of a glower as Lynn gave them, she didn't seem too keen on doing much other than staring. But it was a stare that bore into them from beneath her angled brows.

"...well..if it isn't the creep duo..." she grumbled, "back from your little date at the cemetery?..." Even if Lynn didn't know of their agenda, the question sent a flash across her younger siblings' cheeks.

"How'd you know about that?..." Lucy asked.

"Oh please, it's Sunday Morning and you were more giddy than Charles after seeing a new bag of food when you got up," Lynn told her, "once Lincoln wasn't walking around here it was pretty obvious where you must have drug him off to." Lucy's face outshone Lincoln's from the deduction, though he was putting up a good contest.

"Look...Lynn we...it's over, right?" Lincoln interjected. The older sister folded her arms across her chest as she turned her glare to him. "I mean...you can be mad at me. I get that. But Lucy...can ya just leave it alone?..." Lynn's mouth raised towards her nose. "We were just coming in here to..." Lincoln started, but paused noticing Lucy's tense figure and ran their intentions through his head, "we um..."

"Ugh, whatever. Not like I wanna be a part of whatever you dolts are up to. Yeah, room's yours. Go nuts," Lynn spat. Almost stomping, she brushed by the two allowing their collected breaths to leave their mouths in relief. Before Lynn had fully left though, Lincoln turned to her.

"Hey...no hard feelings...right?" he asked hopefully. Though more hesitant, Lucy looked to her as well and Lynn turned back to face them. Anxiously the younger two peered at each other.

"Oh absolutely," Lynn replied a bit too casually, "No hard feelings AT ALL!" Before Lucy or Lincoln could react, Lynn grabbed the sides of their heads and threw them at each other. With a dull THUMP, their skulls collided and they fell to the ground clutching the sides of their heads. Satisfied at the small "victory", Lynn shut the door as she made her exit. As Lincoln and Lucy nursed their heads however they heard a shrill screeching sound from the hall and a loud bump.

"YAH!" Lynn screamed.

"You whore! That was my bumper!" Lola's voice yelled at her's. Lincoln and Lucy looked at other for a moment and then gave a few chuckles. Predictably, the jock of the family only furthered the verbal conflict outside, but the bickering could only amuse their karma so long before Lincoln and Lucy returned their attention to the soreness of their heads. A bit more accepting of pain, Lucy halted her rubbing first and pulled Lincoln's hand away from the spot of his impact. He figured it was to just get him to stop so that they could get back to "work", but instead Lucy used her other hand to brush the strands of hair away from his head to get a better look at where her's had hit his. It was slightly discolored, but there was no blood. Delicately she ran her fingers across the bruise which made Lincoln squint a bit.

In the back of her mind she had hoped there would have been at least some redness, but as it were the mark was acceptable. Of course she didn't want Lincoln hurt in any severe manner, but her natural interest into the more morbid instances of life craved the observation of the injury. As bits of his hair flowed through her fingers however, curiosity grew to sympathy and before long she found herself pressing her forehead into the area and rubbing against it. His eyelids half-closed, Lincoln put his own hand on the part of her head that his had hit and rubbed it as well. For a good minute or two they sat there on the floor massaging each others' craniums.

Had they not the objective that had been set out for them, Lucy wouldn't have minded staying like that for however long Lincoln allowed, but given their agenda it had to come to an end sooner than later. Once the nuzzling had slowed to nearly a stop, Lucy got to her feet but felt herself anchored to where she'd been sitting. Lincoln himself was surprised to find his hand still holding onto her, but apparently it'd been enough to negate the girl's action and prompt her to drop back down next to him once more, where she proceeded to bury her head into his neck. Blushing, Lincoln's hand that had held onto her restarted his rubbing, this time along her back.

"You're...really taking this..."us" thing...seriously..." he murmured with a smile. Giving her own, Lucy pulled herself back and sat against him.

"Well...yes...we need to...be in the right...character..." she told him, her voice barely audible through her hesitation. Slowly she looked up at him. "And...as such...we should get to seeing how well you can do with how the Ball will go..." Lincoln gave a cross look, but knew that, with how Lucy had been egging things on, they probably should get to work on it and he stood up with her. "As I said though...we should be in character...think you're up to that or...should we um...get you motivated?"

"I already did the voice thing earlier," Lincoln reminded.

"Then why aren't you doing it now?" Lucy asked. Rolling his eyes, Lincoln put on a grin and wrapped his arm around Lucy's waist. She pulled her head back slightly as his came towards her's.

"How is this my undead love?..." Lincoln asked, his voice as empty of life as a corpse. Lucy was thankful there was hair blocking her eyes. She didn't need Lincoln worrying about her eyes rolling back into her closing eyelids.

"Sigh..." she said lifting one arm into the air and fell back in his clutch as her other hand draped across her forehead, "It is as dreary as the night is black. Sadly, I only have one coffin here..." Though he could feel the heat on his cheeks, Lincoln was also doing his best to bite back laughter from the over-dramatic act. Any sense of humor though was lost on the girl that he held. For her, beneath the lids of her eyes, Lucy watched the scene unfold within her mind. The dark taller figure allowing her to arch her back against his grip, and he leaning forward to pierce her soft skin with his fangs. The voice and feeling alone provided all the she needed to craft the appropriate vision.

The world outside of her head however simply displayed the lifeless body of Lincoln's sister as it dangled from his arm. Snickering in his throat, Lincoln bent towards her ear.

"Then perhaps you can leave Edwin out of there on this foreboding eve in favor of a new companion..." he suggested as dryly as he could force himself to. His toying grin dashed from his face when Lucy's head looked to him, her mouth slightly open. From where he held her he could feel her warm breath on his lips. The two gulped but broke into different actions afterwards. Lincoln tilted his head downwards with a shy smile while Lucy held a more nervous one as she shook out of his loosening grip. With a cough, Lincoln joined her as she stood up and rubbed the back of his head. "...too much?..." he asked.

"N-no. It was...great-good! It was...g-good. Y-you need to be in character and...everything to...get it right..." Lucy reminded, though it sounded more as though she were trying to convince herself of the claim. Lincoln just nodded his head and put his arms behind his back.

"...so...how do we...ya know...gotta train for this?..." he asked, though it was mostly to break the awkward silence that was beginning to overtake them.

"Hm?" Lucy mumbled.

"For...The Ball?..." Lincoln told her.

"Oh! R-right!" she stammered. Coughing, Lucy patted her dress free of debris and straightened herself out, "Well, we're going to need to practice on your movements. By Friday ghosts should be jealous of your walk." Lincoln lifted a brow.

"...so...you got a spell or something for that?" he asked.

"What? No. You just gotta...do it," Lucy told him. Lincoln scratched the back of his head.

"...you realize that no one in this family can do that besides you right?"

"Sigh. Anyone can do it. And that's what this week of "training" is for," she told him, "Just do your best to sneak around during your normal everyday routines. Feel the non-disturbance and let it walk your legs for you until it becomes your normal means of travel." During her exposition, Lucy's arms had lifted into the air around her for effect, a stance that Lincoln blinked at a few times once she hadn't put them back down.

"...you uh...need me to help you with-"

"I can lower them just fine Lincoln," Lucy told him. Lincoln blinked a few more times before giving a shrug. A few seconds after that was when his sister finally dropped her limbs.

"Alright, so walking and stuff..." Lincoln said, making note of the priority in his head, "From how ya word it it sounds like that's more of a personal endeavor..."

"Indeed," Lucy agreed, "It is something you must feel. That you must...experience..."

"Uhuh...and...if I can't get it?..." Lincoln asked.

"...sigh. Then I'll help you with it," she told him reluctantly. It wasn't that she didn't want to help, it's just that...she'd never had a student before. It'd be something that she would hope that Lincoln would manage on his own, but if worst came to worst, there was likely "aide" that she could provide.

"Alright alright, so obviously we ain't doing that right now," Lincoln figured.

"Obviously," Lucy nodded.

"...so what else then?" he asked. Lucy put a finger to her lip. The patterns in his movements had been the obvious one. That was perhaps the most important part when it came to blending in with the rest of the community that they'd be interacting with. For the more direct aspects that he'd have to perform however, those were of a more festive sort. The only other real trait for the usual goths would have probably been the vocabulary. It was a field that Lincoln certainly was no slouch in when he applied himself, but given the wording and bleakness of the others, his mind would probably need some more exposure to the tales they were used to.

"To carry on proper conversations and ensure your guise we should probably have you read more," Lucy suggested.

"Read more? Luce, I got piles of Ace Savvy in-"

"Ace Savvy?" she said cutting him off. Lincoln's confident grin drooped a bit. "...seriously?"

"Seriously," he winked. Lucy just shook her head before pinching the space between her eyebrows.

"...sigh..." her voice groaned, "Lincoln, I mean books. ACTUAL books. I know you've read your share before, but this...you know what I read. That type of stuff." Thinking on the subject for a moment, Lincoln shuddered a bit, but kept his grin held firm.

"Oh y-yeah. T-totally. I...I read those types of...things all the ti-"

"I got a selection ready," Lucy told him.

"G-...great..." he gulped. Normally, Lucy would have probably raveled in her brother's discomfort, but for some reason something twinged against her chest from his stammer. Given his atmosphere she decided she'd try to keep the material as tame as she could.

"Other than that...all that'd really be left would be working on the dance stuff," Lucy said. Lincoln smirked.

"Oh girl. I so got this. You don't even need to worry about that," Lincoln assured her. As with his previous claim Lucy only portrayed annoyance at his misplaced confidence. She knew that he couldn't possibly be talking about the eloquence of the motions they'd have to be performing. Almost as if to confirm her beliefs, Lincoln put on a little display of his "moves" for her. Had anyone been watching she might have actually felt some embarrassment, but with her as his single audience-member she only watched as he continued to spin and twirl in the face of their goals. "Come on now! This is supposed to be a duet right?" Lincoln smiled. Lucy just slapped her forehead.

"Lincoln, you don't even have any idea what we-"

"I don't see you dancing!" he continued to prod, lost in his own little world. Lucy scrunched up her face. He wasn't even listening to her with how into his beat he'd gotten.

"Why would I dance? That's not how we're supposed to-"

"Yeah! Put your hands in the air like the ceiling ain't there!" Lincoln hollered as he threw his limbs upward. Lucy felt as though she should persist in her rebuttal, but something stopped her. "Make this last forever!" he sang. Those words...those movements. Something was reverberating throughout Lucy's body from them. "There is nothing worse than that guy over there!"

"And nothing's better than the best..." Lucy found herself mumbling as Lincoln sang the same phrase.

"Best!" Lincoln repeated.

"Best thing ever!" the two sang as Lucy's voice fully joined the chorus.

"Friday Nights!" Lincoln sang clutching his hands to his chest and then thrusting his body forward.

"Summer Light!" Lucy continued as loudly as her voice would allow while she performed the same motions. She had become too entranced by the song to notice Lincoln's grin. Before the next words could come, the two stepped to the side and back again in their rehearsed ritual for whenever the song would play.

"Just me, my friends, and I," Lincoln hummed.

"Top down," Lucy hummed back as the two wiggled their hips.

"Peel out," Lincoln said followed by Lucy repeating the phrase more quietly. The two hopped into a position where they pushed their hands to the side every half-a-second and grinned at each other.

"But I'm yelling at my mom-" Lincoln started while they turned in place.

"Cause I'm still too young to drive," Lucy finished their circle.

"Guess."

"It's."

"Just."

"Whatever..."

As they took turns with the words they threw one arm and one leg in the opposite directions.

"Put your hands in the air like the ceiling ain't there!" Lincoln repeated the words that started the number.

"Make this last forever..." Lucy's voice added. Her mind stalled on the sentence for a fraction afterwards.

"Yeah there's nothing worse than that thing over there!" Lincoln sang.

"Eww," Lucy added earning her a smile.

"And nothing's better than the best-"

"-best-"

"BEST THING EVER!" Lincoln and Lucy felt their ragged breaths pulsing through their bodies in the poses they struck as the performance came to its close. Had there not been the commotion of the school-free activities in the hallway outside the door they'd likely have garnered a bit of an audience, maybe another member or two for their act, but with the door closed in conjunction with the noise beyond it they only had themselves. In the following silence, Lucy realized what she'd just done and coughed nervously as she brushed some of her hair to the side. The beating inside her chest prodded her to keep her head turned from the only witness to her energetic twirls and steps, but she couldn't help taking a peek or two at the boy every now and then, his grin only making the thumps beat faster.

"See? We're all set in that field," Lincoln told her as he wrapped his arm around her neck. Lucy tried to lower her head but it became stuck on the limb that had coiled beneath it. "Ya know, if we got Luna to play some strings for us we might actually have a good thing going here. Put on a few shows here and there to get money for the next vacation..."

"Unsettled grumble. Please no," Lucy murmured. She wouldn't allow Lincoln's snickering face encouragement.

"Come on, you were singin' just fine a few minutes ago," he goaded as he bumped his fist against her chest, "and everybody loves an adorable little moppet dancing around." She had to let in some blush at that comment.

"Sigh. I highly doubt that the Ball is going to involve some pop number in its tracks," Lucy told him.

"Why even bother going then?" Lincoln shrugged. Biting her lips together, Lucy shot a mismanaged glower at him causing him to flash back a hesitant grin. For as much they'd had to deal with distractions the previous week, Lincoln seemed pretty versed in giving those of his own, whether he was trying to or not. But they needed to stay on track. "Alright...alright...okay, so...what...DO we do there then for the...dancing?..." Lincoln asked. Lucy turned her face to the wall in thought. She had been to such events before, but it had been only a couple of times. From what she remembered however, the clothes were obvious. Victorian stylings. A classic. Or at least clothes mimicking it. As for the procedures for the dance itself, it had been the same start each time she'd seen it.

"A kiss," Lucy said. She felt Lincoln's arm contract a bit from the jump he gave.

"...a...WHAT?" he asked halfway to a yelp from the sudden response.

"...a...kiss..." Lucy repeated.

"Yeah, I heard that," Lincoln grumbled, "what I mean is what do you MEAN by that?" Lucy's cheeks had joined his during her repeat of the word and the more Lincoln's startled response set in the more her coloring kept up with his.

"Well...at the start of these events, the male vampir-goth would get down on bended knee, take the female's hand in his, and kiss it to initiate the...fesitivities," Lucy explained. The clarification bit the color back from their faces.

"Oh..." Lincoln said rubbing the back of his head, "...well okay then." Lucy's arm tensed up as it was pulled in a diagonal direction towards the ground from where Lincoln knelt down in front of her. She wanted to pull her arm back. She wanted ever so desperately to jerk it right out of his grip. But she couldn't. For some reason or another her mind would just not send the signals needed to her clasped appendage. She hadn't expected Lincoln to suddenly just break right into the motions, at least not without some prodding. Given her already embarrassed figure from the dance-off, she wasn't sure she would have even given him much incentive to do as she'd described, but apparently she hadn't needed to. And so she just stood there, helpless within Lincoln's grasp, her lungs finding it ever harder to breathe in the waiting tension.

"Mwah!" Lincoln's vocal chords sounded through his lips. Cheerfully he smiled up at Lucy who just stared back at him. And then dropped her head to the ground to shake it.

"Sigh..." she muttered. At first Lincoln lifted his brow, but then it bent into a more cross expression and he folded his arms over his chest as he got to his feet.

"And what's that about?" he scoffed, "I did what ya said."

"You kissed my hand," Lucy accused putting her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, and you told me I gotta do that," Lincoln reminded.

"I told you you have to kiss my hand. As in ACTUALLY kiss it, not do...whatever baby-playing...THING that was," Lucy told him as she wiped the wetness on the back of her hand off on her dress. Lincoln's eyes traveled towards the tops of their lids.

"Well sorrrrry I didn't romance you just the way ya wanted me to," Lincoln said in an empty apology, his hands and fingers fiddling in the air around him as he talked, "Lemme guess, I should also be wearing fangs and bite you afterwards, right?" Before he could fully turn his focus back to the younger girl, he'd heard a shuffle from a box that had escaped from under her bed and he was given a display of a pair of plastic vampire-teeth on her hand that Lucy had seemingly procured from it, her own face grinning widely at him. Lincoln's eyes traveled back and forth between the teeth and his sister's face a few times before he gave her a nervous expression and pulled his head back a bit.

"...you were offering..." Lucy murmured as she pocketed the teeth. Lincoln just rolled his eyes. "Okay, so you're not the best at the...kissing thing...but we've got time to improve that. In the meantime let's focus on less...intimate practices..." Lincoln felt a surge of heat from the reminder of what he'd done to her hand.

"And just what kind of practices are we talking about?" he asked.

"Getting you more Goth," Lucy smiled.

"I still think I'm fine," Lincoln said as he lowered his voice into his more emotionless range.

"You're not," Lucy told him, her smile still hanging on her lips. Though Lincoln gave off a face of deadness, he still felt his lower eyelid quiver a bit in annoyance from the claim. In a way it might have been a matter of pride, if he were to ignore his more casual disinterest in the matter.

"You said you were gonna have me come back for help," Lincoln said.

"With the walking," Lucy told him, "you'd still have to work on other habits."

"And what other habits are we gonna be working on right now "dear"?" Lincoln asked a bit deadpanned. Immediately his face fell as Lucy threw back the drapes surrounding her bed to reveal columns of books sitting on it.

"I'm glad you asked," she grinned. Lincoln gulped.

* * *

Though various Louds occasionally popped into the hall for interactions or displays, there weren't nearly as many as there had been earlier in the day. The more social activities tended to die down at times later on, but one of the girls had remained stationed outside of her room for a good half hour or so. After all, who else was going to fix the damage done to the pink car that her twin had wheeled up? Certainly not Leni. Lana felt her lips quiver at the thought. Now THAT would have been something to watch. She could hardly even begin to imagine what might become of the miniature car in her care, or even WHERE it might end up...or HOW it might end up there. Yeah...she'd probably fork over some cash to see that request.

As she continued with the polishing at the readjusted bumper Lana's ears listened to the sounds drifting from the chambers lining the hallway. If there was one perk to the location she was working at it was that she had no lack of options for what to listen to. Across from where she was kneeling she could hear the bubbling of her younger sister's Bunsen Burners and clacking of her computer's keyboard. At the furthest end of the hallway she could make out the endless droning of Lori's latest conversation with Bobby and occasionally caught ear of Leni's input into the conversation. They were practically drowned out most of the time though due to the sisters two rooms down from them. Like most days, Luna's house-shaking beats were doing their best to reign supreme when it came to noises.

And then there were the quiet ones. Lana stuck out her lower lip as she eyed Lincoln's room. His empty room. It hadn't taken her that long to figure out just who he'd disappeared with before most of the others had woken up. That had only been confirmed when she'd seen Lucy and him slip back into her room upon their return. She knew she should have taken the opportunity to investigate in their absence, but that hadn't occurred to her until after they had come back. And by the time she'd been ready the other occupant of Lucy's room had seen to it that Lola would come crying to her to fix the damage that she'd caused to her vehicle.

Putting a few screws into her mouth, Lana yanked off the loosened tire that'd been wrecked in the crash and replaced it with a new one. Her eyes were still fixated on the door that her older brother and sister were now hidden behind. She could have sworn she'd heard a familiar tune being sung beyond it, but in the commotion that had been caused in the hall she'd had no choice but to preoccupy herself with the repairs that Lola had demanded. The screws bolted the tire into place with the power-drill she'd brought from her room. As they whirled she thought back to Lynn. Given her usual attitude and the events of the previous day, she obviously was in no mood to offer an apology for the damage, but in the moments before Lynn had disappeared down the steps Lana could have sworn she'd seen something more than anger in her eyes. She wasn't sure just what it was, but Lana had noticed Lynn's pupils dart back to the door of her room before departing.

Examining the door herself, Lana could feel the burning curiosity and suspicion that she'd endured throughout the past half a week bubbling up inside of her. It was infuriating. At first it'd been nothing. Just a few little moments between the white and black haired members of the family, but as it'd gone on the companionship had become more and more frequent to the point where it had taunted her interest too much. Friday night had been the breaking point. Their walk, their dress, even Lincoln's adjusted voice. Yeah, it was definitely an act she wouldn't forget, but she'd doubted that it was all that rehearsed. Slowly her eyes drifted down the hall to the door that the music had been pouring from. Lana may not have as easy a time looking into matters with the main two subjects, but the door to their support's room was splayed wide open, and the older sister that had come to their aide was usually not as alert as the quiet sister of the family.

"Eh...ya get what ya pay for..." Lana murmured to herself as she got up and wiped her hands off on a rag. Taking a few quick looks around, she reached into her overalls and pulled out a camera. She was about to head over to the door, but stopped for a second before getting out of the perimeter of the car and looked at it. After looking around again she brought her foot back and slammed it into the side of the car that hadn't been damaged. "That'll show ya for givin' me a damn penny," she grumbled. Quickly, Lana bounced over to Luan and Luna's door. The closer she'd come the louder the music had gotten, but at the same time it'd fought to quiet itself. It was only when Lana got her head to the doorframe that she realized just why it become quieter. Luna was headed her way!

"Alright brah, you keep yappin' your lame jokes. I gotta find some better reverb," the musician told the room's other occupant. Her heart beating, Lana dove for the nearest door she could find and huddled on the side of its wall that wasn't facing the hall. She almost yelped as she found herself staring at a much older girl, but not the more sensible one of the room. Lori was still babbling on her phone with her back to the newcomer, but Leni was looking right at her with a blank smile on her face after the initial confused expression.

"Hi Lan-" Leni tried to greet before Lana's desperate hand-waves cut her off. Hastily she motioned for a closed mouth at the older girl. "Oh! Are we playing a game?" Leni whispered excitedly. Lana winced as she looked to Lori, but the eldest sibling gave no sign that she heard the conversation.

"Y-...yeah..." Lana gulped quietly, "Just-...uh...we gotta be REALLY quiet...if Lori hears us before Luna gets down the steps then we lose!" Leni put a hand to her mouth and looked around. She didn't know where the brown-haired girl was, but Lana could see her quite clearly from the door. It took only a few seconds for the rockstar to disappear at which point Lana nodded and grinned. "And...she's gone!" the younger girl exclaimed as she jumped back into the hall.

"YAY! I win!" Leni cried. Lori jerked her head up and eyed her in confusion. "Wait...what do I win?..." Leni asked. Lori just roll her eyes and shook her head before returning to the phone. Lana meanwhile had made it to the room she'd targeted and had taken a look inside. On the bottom bunk-bed sat Luan. The jokester. The comedian. The demon-spawn from hell. Noticing the briefest of movements, Lana yanked her head back into the hall as Luan's lifted up. Her joking had stopped. Lana could only guess she was in the midst of checking the area for that sense someone got when they felt like they were being watched. There was no way that Lana would be having any part of her captivity. Who knows what she'd do to her. She might have to sit through one of her stupid routines. Anxiously, Lana counted down the seconds and, on the fourth one, she sprung into action.

She figured that would be the amount of time needed for Luan to return to her practice, and fortunately for Lana it had been. In the brief instance that Lana was out in the open in the doorway of Luan's room, she could see the older girl bantering with her wooden sidekick. As quickly as she'd slid into the opening however, Lana slunk right back in along the wall of the room. She knew she was just small enough to fit into the space behind the dresser that'd been pushed up next to the door. She wasn't sure just what she was looking for, but she was sure that if there was evidence to collect aside from the primary subjects it would have been from the one that had been in cahoots with them on that night. Shakily, Lana caught up with her breathing and tried to move her heart back down into her chest. The sneaking into the room had been more tense than she'd expected and she thought she'd heard Luan's voice taper for a moment. But only a moment. Without skipping a word, the older girl's joke to her "dummy" continued.

"-which said "What? I ain't Guac no Mole!"," Luan laughed hysterically. Lana had to force herself not to groan at the pun. Thankfully though, Luan seemed sufficiently distracted. Taking the opportunity, Lana poked her head out from the opposite side of the dresser that she'd slid in behind and took a couple of pictures of the room. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Just clothes and guitar-equipment lying about. Lana scrunched her brow. There wasn't anything she'd found that could be of help from the pictures. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed some movement. Unexpected movement. It may have just been a shake of the Luan's wooden figure, but it was enough to dart Lana back behind the dresser again. Unbeknownst to her, another pair of eyes had caught sight of her movements as well.

"Alright alright Mr. Coconuts, if you're so smart then how about this one?" Luan asked jolting the dummy's head back around to her, "What animal makes honey but would rather be studying their words?" Her assistant rubbed his chin in thought. Knowing that she would probably not be getting much more evidence from where she'd entered, Lana took the opportunity that the joke offered to somersault over to where Luan's April Fool's Day throne was situated.

"I dunno toots. What animal would rather study?" Mr. Coconuts asked, though his eyes, having picked up movement again, slid to the edge of their limit.

"A SPELLING Bee!" Luan exclaimed before following the answer up with an unusual amount of laughter, "Get it?" Receiving no response, Luan looked to where Mr. Coconuts was watching. Slowly the two looked at each other and nodded.

"Oh gee yeah, that is a laugh riot honey," Mr. Coconuts congratulated. Lana hardly noticed the voices getting closer with how near everyone in the room already was to each other. Neither Loud could see beyond the shape of the throne, but Luan's assistant was more than ready for the intruder. As Luan neared it, Mr. Coconuts grabbed a baseball bat that had been acquired from Lynn through one of Luan's many pranks and he smacked it lightly against his other hand. Lana however stared at the piece of paper that she'd found under the cushion of the throne's seat and took a few pictures. The next "thwack" of the bat hitting the dummy's hand caught her attention though.

Sweat began to shoot from her forehead. She'd been found out. And by the psycho of the house! But she hadn't come unprepared. With a prayer, Lana reached into the pocket of her overalls and pulled out her own assistant. Luan jumped into the air at the sight of the amphibian creature while Mr. Coconuts swung at it. Luckily Hops had known what to expect and dodged the object with ease. In the bout of swinging, Lana was able to roll right back over to the backside of the dresser and slide into the hall where she gave the frog a thumbs-up. More than eager to take his own leave, Hops bounced to the doorway himself and rejoined the tomboy. Realizing the oddness of the intruder, Luan circled her throne, but, finding nothing, eventually returned to her "act", though her eyes moved back to the object every so often. Mr. Coconuts just wore a skeptical expression until they could get their "atmosphere" going again.

Outside of the door, Lana found it even harder to breathe than when she'd taken her hiding place behind the dresser, but ultimately was able to quiver her exhales back to normal. She may have gained some useful footage from the dangerous excursion, but it sadly was nothing that would work towards the case on Lincoln and Lucy. Frustrated, she looked down at the frog that had leaped back into her pocket.

"Man Hops, I was really thinking we'd get somethin' in there," she grumbled, "ya know...guh, who else would have anything on them? I mean there's Clyde but-" Lana's words started to slow as she noticed something. Something she'd realized earlier but that she, for some reason, hadn't realized the opportunity that it presented. Lincoln. The door to his room. It was open. And he wasn't in it. Lana's mouth gawked open in disbelief. "...Hops...remind me the next time I go on a sneaking mission to not be a dumbass, kay?" The frog nodded to her as she bounded off to her brother's room.

* * *

"And as the night set in for the long awaited-"

"Sigh," Lincoln blinked and looked over at the girl next to him on the bed, a stinge of annoyance in his face. Lucy herself had become rather engrossed in her own book, but it was one she'd read thrice before. Given her overexposure to the various tales that she had spread out around them, it was rather easy to stay focused on Lincoln's voice and tone in the midst of her reading. And it had not improved much since the beginning of the session. Though he spoke in his faux-emotionless way of speaking, it did little to hide the inexperience of the true enrapturement in the bleakness of the story he'd been reciting. And every time he'd slipped too far off course, Lucy had been sure to inform him in her usual dissatisfied word, which had been a bit too often for either of their liking.

"And as the night set in for the long awaited soul..." Lincoln repeated, more slowly and dreary this time, "The sky became encircled by the flock of hairy wings that-"

"Sigh." Lincoln's eye twitched. He fought as hard as possible against allowing his eyes to drift towards his critic and instead breathed in a flow of air through his nostrils and blew it back out.

"The sky...became encircled...by a flock of...hairy wings...that...drew down upon the maiden, her arms outspread to welcome the-"

"Sigh."

"Okay, that's it!" Lincoln yelled as he slammed the book down next to him. Lucy tilted her head towards him as her face flushed with hesitance and worry. "Yeah, I get it. I suck at this. Ya know, I was actually MAYBE starting to enjoy that one a bit until your constant "sigh"s you do."

"Lincoln..." Lucy said quietly. Carefully she put her book down on the bed and crawled over to him. His body trembled with adrenaline and his eyes hung with irritation. "Lincoln it's...alright," she told him as she wrapped her arms around his body, "this is what this week's for. Practicing. We don't all start out with the feet of spirits and whispers of the night mist. But we'll get you there." Lincoln could feel the vibrations becoming less as her hands ran across his ribs, though the words did little to ease his mind. "I knew you were probably gonna suck when we started," Lucy said. That brought back the flames in his veins. And yet he could feel her cheek rubbing into his back as if to comfort him. A bit more sudden than Lucy expected, her arms were broken off of her brother's body from the thrust of his own and he stood up.

"Lincoln?" Lucy asked as he headed towards the door, "W-where are you going? We still need to-"

"No," he said quietly, but with an authority that quieted his sister, "Don't. Just-...sigh...not now. I-...I need a break." Lucy watched in silence as Lincoln exited the room with his eyes going to her one last time before the door shut. In that sight she could see the weight on him. The strain and pressure he seemed to be under. But...it was necessary. She couldn't help that, right? This was the mission they were supposed to be training for. And in spite of that...she felt a flutter of regret. But why? If anything she should feel offense. He'd just abandoned her. Why should she be feeling sorry? Yes, there was guilt for the effort he'd have to give to get everything right, but it needed to be done. So why should she be the one feeling bad? Her stomach turned upside-down, Lucy fell onto her side on the bed and pulled a pillow up against her body which she nuzzled her face into.

"Lincoln..." her voice ebbed into the fabric. She swallowed a lump that had begun to form in her throat. Though the pillow provided some comfort, she wished instead that her face was allowed its prior resting-place. The pillow wouldn't beat with the life that she had come to enjoy from her partner. Beyond the edge of the soft material she could see a much harder material towards the edge of the bed. For proper guidance she had been sure to place her ever-present bust near them.

"Sigh...oh Edwin...what am I going to do?..." Lucy asked as she swam her face towards the figure, "I know Lincoln's not having the best time ever but...this needs to get done...we need to get him in-tune with his more undead side before Friday..." The bedmate made no noise, but it was apparently enough of a response to prolong the seemingly one-sided conversation. "Patience I have," Lucy argued, "the waiting I do for that fateful day that I shall finally be united with you is evidence of that. But we have a time limit with this and-...sigh...yeah...I...sigh...if I'd listened to Luna when she said to give him some space it might have worked out with less tension yesterday...sigh, fine. But just a break, not a "cancel-the-whole-day" thing..."

For a few minutes Lucy rested her cheek against the pillow, her eyelids weighing down across her vision every now and then in the waves of sleep that threatened to take the bodies of the resting. In such a state thoughts became more vivid and blurred the realms of reality and fantasy. She may have been awake, but the side of her face stroked against the cloth as it had her brother's back minutes before.

"...Lincoln..." her voice drolled absent-mindedly. After a few more nuzzles her movement came to a stop and she jerked her head up to look in Edwin's direction. "...what do you mean he's a good kisser?..." Lucy mumbled.

* * *

With a sigh, Lincoln slouched back onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling. When he'd initially entered his room he'd given some thought to working on his model spaceship again after the interruptions from the day before, but given the frazzled mess it'd become and the focus that he'd require to properly operate on it he had mostly dismissed the undertaking. After all, under the pressure that Lucy's "practice" had dropped on him he doubted that he was in any state for such precise exercises. Lincoln shut his eyes at the thought of his younger sister. He loved her. He truly did. But...those "sighs", those constant redundant utters of disapproval...they were cumbersome to say the least, at least at the frequency she gave them. Lincoln knew he might not have been the easiest person to craft for her purpose, but he would have enjoyed at least a modicum of recognition for his efforts. Instead it was just "sigh" after "sigh" after critical "sigh". It was taxing.

Slowly, Lincoln poked open his eyes to resume his stare at the ceiling. As he absentmindedly counted the small cracks across it, the edges of his lips lowered. It was...more difficult than he'd assumed it might have been to assist Lucy when he'd agreed to continue his assistance, but an illness bubbled within him at the contemplation of the girl. Under the standards of her presence, Lincoln could hardly work, but with her at bay all he could thinking about was her lone figure, distant and isolated. And that twisted Lincoln's stomach into knots. Frustrated, Lincoln chewed his teeth together and rolled over onto his side. Roughly his hand ran through his hair. He loved her, but he couldn't...go back there. Not at the moment. It was too much.

"...sigh..." he murmured to himself.

"Come in Deluxe Cabinet!" a voice crackled. Lincoln blinked a few times and pulled out his walkie-talkie. "Deluxe Cabinet come in, this is Tabletop! Do you read?"

"Read ya loud and clear Tabletop! How ya doin'?" Lincoln replied, a bit more excited than he'd meant to be.

"Great! Just checking if we're still on for tonight," Clyde responded. Lincoln's eyes widened. He'd all but forgotten about the arcade with the practicing and constant stories he'd been flooded with for his training. Given how things had gone though...those games did seem pretty enticing. It'd certainly give him a break from the unending despair he'd had to absorb. "...Deluxe Cabinet?..."

"Hm? Oh r-right!" Lincoln laughed nervously, "Right o-of course man! Sorry just...things goin' on. There were stories and doing things for Lucy and-yeah-yeah I'll be there!" He couldn't see Clyde, but the short pause was enough to imagine his confused glance at his walkie-talkie.

"Well alright, but if you feel like ya can't do it, just lemme know," Clyde told him, "See ya then! Tabletop out!"

"R-right! Deluxe Cabinet out!" Lincoln replied before clicking out of the conversation. He looked back up at the ceiling with a deep breath as the device rolled out of his hand. There may have been a fraction of iniquity to the decision, but it brought a bit of relief to have the decision made. And it was certainly the choice that brought the most ease to his person. If Lucy had a problem with it, well...he couldn't exactly let Clyde down could he? He grinned through his cautiousness. Lincoln could already practically feel the track-balls and joysticks. With renewed life, he hopped to his feet and skipped over to the chair at his desk. Upon sitting down though he ceased his movements and looked around. For a moment he thought he'd heard something. After a few more seconds of listening and observing however he shrugged and popped open the laptop at the desk. He was about to start looking around at some websites when he noticed a message-icon in the corner of the screen.

"Oh Lincoln!" he heard Clyde's voice crackle back on over the walkie-talkie, "Hey, just checking, you got any good ideas for show-and-tell tomorrow?" Lincoln's mouth dropped. Show-and-tell! He'd absolutely forgotten that they were supposed to bring things in the next day. Frantically he swung his head around his room to search for anything that might be interesting. "...Lincoln?..." Clyde's voice crackled again. His name was repeated a few more times before Clyde resigned himself to the belief that Lincoln had simply walked off after their previous conversation, as Lincoln figured he would, and exited the call. It couldn't be helped however. With the limited hours left to prepare, he was sure Clyde would have understood had he known Lincoln had heard him.

It, unfortunately, didn't take long for Lincoln to fully analyze the makeshift closet he called his room and soon he found himself right back in his seat, another responsibility added to his list. Hoping to find some sort of levity, he turned his attention back to the laptop and clicked the "messaging" icon. Partly startled, but not too surprised, Lincoln grinned at the face that showed up from the video feed that displayed on his screen. The girl on the other side looked around her own screen a few times as her brain caught up with the sudden visual that'd popped up on her screen and interrupted whatever website she'd been browsing.

"Hey loser. About time you answered," Ronnie Anne smirked. Lincoln rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "How're things goin' there?" she asked.

"Oh you know. Just...Royal Woodsy..." Lincoln replied, "How bout you?"

"Eh, same old same old," Ronnie Anne shrugged, "Nikki nearly broke her knee on this flip she did on the skateboard and this horde of rats tried to get into the store the other day. I think they were after Hector. Oh! I think Bobby might have figured out how to unlock the freezer doors from the inside when he got locked in this time down there !"

"No! That was just a false alarm! It turned out the doors were just covered in butter from some kid that'd been messing around with the condiments!" Lori's voice called from down the hall. Ronnie Anne and Lincoln looked at each other and gave a few chuckles.

"So really? Nothin' out there?" Ronnie Anne pressed, "I mean didn't you say the two tikes were after you the other day?"

"Oh, yeah, that," Lincoln rolled his eyes, "Yeah...I guess there have been...some things going on..." Lincoln's mouth hung in reluctance, but Ronnie Anne's eyes pried at his hesitance. "Okay alright...guess I can't really hide that LYNN GOT HER ASS KICKED YESTERDAY!"

"Yeah she did!" Luan's voice laughed from her room.

"WHAT?!" Ronnie Anne exclaimed, "Hold up, is that some kinda joke?" Excitedly Lincoln shook his head. "Well don't keep me waitin' Loud, gimme the details!"

"Oh you wouldn't believe it! Come on, take a guess who it was," Lincoln urged. Ronnie Anne swung the pupils of her eyes back and forth at the top of her head in thought.

"Well Lori's the oldest so-"

"Nope," Lincoln negated. Ronnie Anne's eyes narrowed.

"Leni's too nice so...hm...Luna? Luan?" she murmured, "wait, maybe Lana. She is the most tomboyish of-"

"Lucy," Lincoln said. Ronnie Anne stopped talking and gawked at him.

"...Lucy?" she asked.

"Lucy," he nodded, "she whipped her ass into the ground in basketball yesterday. The entire neighborhood was gathered around." Ronnie Anne was still trying to take in the information.

"...Lucy?...Basketball?...Lynn...Beat?..." her thoughts played aloud.

"It wasn't even a contest! Lynn got like...NO points!" Lincoln laughed. Ronnie Anne was scratching her head as she tried to play the images of what must have been the match in her head, but the scenario was just too incomprehensible to properly understand.

"...god damn do I wish I'd have known that was gonna happen," Ronnie Anne huffed, "might have given me a viable reason to move back..." After a moment of lowering her eyes, she got an idea and looked back up at Lincoln, whom she wiggled her eyebrows and winked at causing him to blush. "So...why were they even doing that? I mean Ms. Spider-pants doesn't seem like the type to just agree to some leisurely practice."

"Well, she was the one that proposed it," Lincoln told her.

"...she was?" Ronnie Anne asked, "...what? Why?"

"Oh...she...um...I'm sure...had her...reasons..." Lincoln mumbled. The girl he was conversing with lowered her eyelids and he yanked at his collar.

"Come on Loud..."

"...okay just...sigh..." he muttered. Ronnie Anne almost jumped from the reply.

"Sigh?" she asked, "When did you start..." Lincoln could feel himself joining Ronnie Anne in the surprise. He looked down at himself. When HAD he started that? Now that he thought back on it, and actually took note of the word, that had not even been the first time he'd done that. He could see the surprise still plastered on Ronnie Anne's face as well as a bit of suspicion as he looked back up at the computer screen. "You HAVE been hanging out with her a bit these days," Ronnie Anne said, "...the whole basketball thing wouldn't have to do with...YOU at all...now would it?..." Lincoln gulped.

"Eh...er..." he stammered. He knew he wasn't going to hide much from the face he was staring at. Lincoln gave a few looks around to make sure no one was in earshot and lowered his voice. "...sigh-guh-damnit!" Lincoln grumbled as he tried to stop himself from repeating Lucy's word, "Eh...yeah...Lynn was about to...do somethin' to me and Lucy did that match to sort of get me out of it."

"And why's that exactly?" Ronnie Anne inquired.

"I dunno. Cause she loves me?" he murmured. Ronnie Anne lifted her eyebrow, unconvinced. "Okay alright...me and her we're...I'm...we're working on something together. I'm...doin' her some..."favors" and I guess she was protecting me in return..."

"What kind of favors might those be lame-o?" Ronnie Anne asked.

"God you're nosy," he retorted.

"You know it," she smiled. Lincoln shook his head.

"I'll tell ya some other time...I'm gonna get going," he told her.

"What? Already?" Ronnie Anne asked in disappointment. Lincoln looked to the side with a grimace.

"It's not that I wanna," he told her and then lowered his voice to a whisper, "There's just...something about my room right now...it doesn't feel right in here..." Ronnie Anne gave him an odd look but noticed his eyes. They were looking around every so often. Having picked up on the unease of the setting she nodded and Lincoln closed the laptop. Giving one last scan around the room, Lincoln took a breath and hopped to his feet. He didn't know what it was, but there was just...something about the room that felt...off. It was as though he felt he had to be cautious even walking. As if there was...something in there with him. Watching. But he...couldn't let whatever it was know that he'd noticed its presence. He had to act natural. Trying to add some life to his step, he moved over to the door and pulled it open. He almost jumped in fright at what lay on the other side.

"Lincoln, um...hi. It's...delightful to see you," Lucy greeted. Realizing why he wasn't responding from how he was clutching his chest, she kicked the ground. "...sorry."

"It-...it's fine..." Lincoln murmured through his shaky exhales. He didn't know whether to be annoyed or not at her, but he didn't get the chance to figure out the proper reaction before he found his lower face engulfed in a soft mass. Delicately, Lucy's hair tickled his nose as she weaved her arms around his body, which she buried her face into the throat of. Lincoln was thankful to find that no one else was currently in the hall, though he was certain that Lucy wouldn't be performing the action unless she was sure of the privacy. He was surprised at how quickly his rattled breaths returned to normal within the cushioning of her embrace.

"Lincoln..." her voice vibrated through his upper chest, "...sigh...thank you for...everything..." Praying no one would come into the hall, Lincoln returned the hug.

"Y-...yeah...s-sure..." he stuttered quietly. The time spent nuzzling into her hair filled his nostrils with the scent of the bathroom's shampoo and whatever scents her intermittent candles etched into her dwelling. Whether it assisted in the calming of his breathing or not, he didn't know, but it certainly didn't do any harm for it. "I-uh...was just gonna...come to your room when you showed up here..." he explained through the raven-colored strands.

"Mmm?"

"...look, Lucy, we uh...should get away from my room. There's...it felt like there was something in-"

"Wait," Lucy told him. Lincoln felt himself trying to grab for the hug as it detached from him. Before he could do anything, Lucy was in his room and she lifted up the laptop. The face of the girl on the screen staring back at her confirmed the suspicions she'd gotten once she'd heard Lori's voice give her input into whatever Lincoln had been talking about in his room.

"...get your own fic," Lucy told Ronnie Anne quietly before shutting the device again. Lucy turned to join Lincoln back in the hall but paused. Out of the corner of her eye she had seen...something. She didn't know what it was, or where it had gone to, but she could have sworn she'd seen a flash of red, yellow, and blue for a moment. Lucy looked like a statue, but her eyes darted every which way behind her hair. Lincoln had been right. Something was in the room.

"Yeah, we should get back to my room," Lucy agreed as she exited and took her brother's hand as she walked past him. Once she'd reached her door she turned the knob but was pulled back. Lincoln had also opened a door next to his room.

"If they end up following us they'll probably go to that one," Lincoln whispered. Lucy allowed herself to be drug into the room of the youngest Louds as she tossed her own door shut. The two huddled together in the darkness of the baby-room once they'd shut its door as quietly as possible and listened. On the other side of it they could hear footsteps which seemed to stop across the hall. After some time, Lucy's door sounded like it had creaked open and the footsteps resumed more cautiously. Discomforted, Lucy nuzzled her face into Lincoln's shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her's. From where he sat he saw her worry and forlorn and felt a pit growing in his stomach. It'd been so easy to fantasize about the buttons of the arcade machines, but now that he had sight of his sister again that all evaporated in favor of her isolated state. Guilt swamping him, Lincoln put his face into the black hair next to him.

Lucy felt a brightness on her cheeks from the barely-noticeable smacking sound that pecked the top of her head. Filled with an unusual sensation, Lucy tried to garner a repeat of the action by rubbing her head against his lower-face, but got none. The arm around her and pressure against his form though was compensation enough. The two stayed as still as they could in their listen for the noises of the world outside but would resume the nuzzles of comfort now and then to ease the tension. They'd been so lost in their observation of whatever intruder had been creeping around the house that they hadn't even noticed the genius of the household hard at work on something towards the left side of the room.

"Confounded tiaras!" Lisa spat. With a thunk her wrench hit the table she'd set up to operate on. Lucy and Lincoln glanced at each other, unsure of whether or not they should say anything. They didn't even know if Lisa knew they were there. "Oh come on Lisa, it's just some gowns and laces to give opinions on," she mocked to herself in a pathetic attempt at Lola's voice before dropping back to her normal saliva-ladened one, "Yeah, and HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED A.I. TO JUDGE WITH!"

"Your critical tolerance is handled rather adequately, but your poise leaves something to be desired," a somewhat posh voice synthesized from the device she was working on.

"Oh I'll show you poise!" Lisa growled as she grabbed a screwdriver and sunk it into the center of the object at her desk. Both Lucy and Lincoln cringed as sparks shot out from the front of their younger sister. Given her...state, it likely wasn't the best idea to intervene. They just hoped that whomever had invaded Lucy's room would be moving on so that they could get to it themselves. With how into her work she was, Lisa likely would be preoccupied for some minutes more, but there was no telling when she actually would turn around.

Deciding it best to stay huddled at the door, Lucy and Lincoln focused on what muffled noises worked their way through the walls. It wasn't much, but sometimes they could make out a crash or creak intertwined with the distant jokes and cell-phone chatter from further down. As they listened their eyes looked over the room they were in. Beakers bubbled and coils shocked, but one object caught Lucy's attention. An object that she knew. And that she knew shouldn't have been there. She tried to rattle her mind for how her Spellbook might have ended up in Lisa's room, but couldn't come up with an answer. She was sure that she had kept it where no one would go snooping around, and she couldn't come up with any reason as to why the scientist might have any use for such a contrasting piece when compared to her interests.

Lincoln however had lain his eyes on something different, but equally as fascinating. From within Lily's crib above the book he could see the infant rolling around with some object of her own in her hands. It'd clearly been Lisa's handiwork, but just what it was for remained a mystery until the baby inserted something into a slot at its base. Upon being fed a crudely drawn picture that she'd done, the object's lens towards the top materialized the humanoid figure on the drawing which Lily proceeded to hug. Lincoln stared in shock at the feat of the device but soon had his face adorned with a grin. Checking to make sure that Lisa was still preoccupied, Lincoln got to his feet and snuck over to the crib. Lucy tried to convey motions to return him to her side realizing just how easy it might be to get the inventor's attention, but he proceeded the full length to the crib.

Immediately Lily opened her mouth, but Lincoln put a hand over it and put a finger to his lips, an action that the baby seemed to understand. He pointed at the device and then put a hand on his chest. Lily tilted her head and watched him repeat the motions a few more times before nodding her head and taking her picture out of it which caused her wobbly companion to vanish. Lincoln's grin widened and he snatched it. His prize acquired, he turned to return to the door but a grip held him in place. Clamped onto the back of his shirt was Lily's hand and her face wore a displeased expression. Expectantly, she held out her other hand. Apparently she wanted some sort of trade. Lincoln gave her a doubtful shrug. Her brows angered, Lily prepared to open her mouth and Lincoln's grin turned to a face of fright. Quickly he waved his arms around to calm her and snatched up a piece of paper.

Both Lucy and Lily watched curiously as Lincoln scribbled something on it and threw it into the crib. Lily looked the piece over a couple of times before giving him a stern nod and returning to her other drawing to put Lincoln's one of her favorite singing fox toy next to it. Wiping his brow, Lincoln finally got back over to the door. He could barely contain himself with the new trinket, a fact that Lucy took notice of.

"...what?" Lincoln whispered, "I forgot about show-and-tell tomorrow and THIS will make the perfect item."

"Seriously?" Lucy gawked, "You nearly got us caught for that? What about something like...I dunno...your space ship you've been working on?"

"Lynn messed that up, and besides, everyone knows I like that crap," Lincoln replied.

"So the answer is some invention by your toddler sister that you've never used before," Lucy summarized.

"Well when you put it like that it makes it sound like a dumb idea..." Lincoln murmured at her.

"Lily! I do apologize, but I need silence for this!" Lisa barked.

"To improve your coloring, orange and reds draped across your upper body would-"

"Oh will you shut up!" Lisa hissed at the contraption in her hands. Lily shot the two at the door a glare.

"...we...should be good to leave..." Lucy informed.

"Wait-what?" Lincoln said.

"While you were over there I heard my door open and close and some soft footsteps out there," she told him.

"...then why are we still here?" he asked in disbelief. Sharing a stupefied look, the older brother and sister unlatched the door and slipped out into the open.

"Perhaps use contacts for more acceptable attraction from the opposite sex-"

"FUCK OFF!"

* * *

With a roar, the engine of Vanzilla started up and the vehicle jerked forward. Realizing who the target of the driver was, Lynn jumped to the side to avoid the bumper that stopped just short of where she'd been antagonizing Lori from before she'd gotten behind the wheel. Lynn was already in less-than-favorable graces with at least three other family members so she might as well add another to the list. If nothing else it'd helped her blow off some steam, and she knew that it wasn't as though the oldest of them would attempt anything lethal in response. Leni waved frantically to the sports-endrenched female as the vehicle she was in pulled out of the driveway and started towards the mall.

"Yeah you better run!" Lynn yelled after it thrusting her middle finger into its trail, "...bitch." Huffing, she returned to the tennis ball that she pelted against the side of the house. She couldn't use the back anymore due to her more manipulative sister having made a fortress of stuffed animals for a tea party she'd been throwing back there and she didn't dare show her face around any of her teammates after what all had transpired the day before. So she stood there throwing the ball at the side of the house on her lonesome. With angry energy she launched the ball so hard that it ricocheted right back at her face. She ducked just in time for it to miss her and hit the fence behind her instead which lodged it right back at the back of her head.

Cursing under her breath she scratched the spot it'd impacted and looked down at the ball as it rolled to a stop. Lynn sighed as she gave in. Perhaps that was enough venting for the time being. Worn out from the constant tosses and snide remarks to passerbys, the teenage girl returned to the inner workings of the household. Passing by the kitchen she spotted her father hard at work on that night's meal, though she was sure at least two of the offspring wouldn't be back from the mall in time for it. Given the ingredients she doubted it was anything that was going to warrant a family get-together for a proper meal. It looked to be more of a "if ya stop by" type of food that he was working on. Not that she was sure what exactly the food was, but given how her stomach was growling it wouldn't be done in time for her needs.

Quickly she snagged a sandwich from her section of the fridge and walked up the stairs as she devoured it. She stopped once she got to her door however. It was closed. A glare began to creep across her face and she stepped over to her brother's room to find it empty. With a scoff she rolled her eyes.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she grumbled, "What the hell are they doing in there? Well whatever it is I'm putting the brakes on it!" Lynn could feel the irritation towards the duo returning as she stomped back towards her room. About halfway there however she stopped and looked to the side. The door to the twins' room was open and there was noise coming from it. But the lights were out and Lola was in the backyard. Intrigued by the odd behavior, Lynn crept over to it and poked her head in. Unable to see anything she flicked the lights on.

"Ya! What the fuck!?" the other twin hollered as she threw herself over a tray that she'd been operating at.

"Uh...what's going on in here?..." Lynn asked. She barely had time to notice Hops and step out of the way before he bounced past her with a camera wrapped around him. "...what's that smell?"

"That would be the chemicals I'm developing the pictures with!" Lana exclaimed, "And you just ruined the ones I hadn't gotten to!"

"Developing?...ruined?...pics-what are you talking about?" Lynn questioned absolutely perplexed by the whole scenario. Lana shot her a nasty look and peaked down into the tray she had been guarding from the light. Sighing, she took some tongs she'd had placed over another tray and lifted a slimy piece of paper out of the one she was at. With a few wobbles of the tongs the chemicals flapped off of the picture and she hung it up to dry on a cord she'd set up above the trays where a few other pictures were drying. Lynn was completely taken aback by the room.

"...why are you...developing...photos?...we have phones ya know..." she pointed out as she neared the collection.

"Cause this is cooler," Lana countered. Lynn couldn't exactly argue against that. There was definitely an amateur professionalism to the air. Of course it helped that the photos seemed to be images of interest. One in particular caught Lynn's eyes. On the far left hung a picture of a piece of paper with a list on it.

"Where'd this one come from?..." Lynn muttered. Lana looked up. "Reprogram Assistant-Bot for pranking test-run..." Lynn read.

"Under the seat of the court jester," Lana answered. Lynn's pupils lowered to the lower lids of her eyes. Her mind was scrambling to try and fit pieces together inside her head.

"Wait...but...Lincoln...but...but..." Lynn stammered. Her brain was trying everything it could to keep up with her vocals. "That...BITCH!" she spat, "I'm gonna kill her!"

"Yeah, cause things ended so well for you when you tried to take on the last person you thought did it," Lana murmured. Lynn scowled at the back of her head. "Personally I wouldn't confront that maniac. At least not while she's in her own territory. I barely got out of there once I got the pic..."

"So, what's this about. Why you being a little creep?" Lynn asked, genuinely interested in why she'd gone to such lengths to get the pictures. Lana gave her a contemplative glance.

"...ugh, you shouldn't even be seeing this stuff. You're just gonna think it's crazy garbage and all that. I mean, like, nobody else seems to get it. Lincoln and Lucy, how they-"

"-are always hanging out together?" Lynn finished. Lana's jaw dropped.

"Wait-wait-you-you actually-YOU SEE IT TOO?!" the younger girl practically cheered. Gleefully she glomped Lynn's body. "Oh my god, someone else actually picks up on it!"

"Of course I do, the queen of the undead has been going out of her way to be on Lincoln's good side the past week. It's part of why I played her yesterday."

"You mean got played," Lana joked earning her a glare, "...heh...heh..."

"Yeah, whatever," Lynn mumbled, "but no duh. Of course they've been up to something. No idea what, but...obviously something...wait-hold up! You got all this crap here! What have YOU found out?" Lana blinked a few times and put on a wide smirk.

"Oh ho ho, come on over!" the younger sibling requested with a wave of her arm. Lynn could feel excitement crawling across her arms. Finally. Something. SomeONE that might have a better picture of just had been lurking behind the scenes of the family's tranquil chaos. Somebody that might give her a clearer answer as to just why her roommate had been valuing their brother as much as she had been. A sister that might be able to give a reason as to just why she, for some reason, had been beaten so badly in her game the day before. What had it all been about? And where was it all leading? Lynn's own face was beginning to join Lana's in greedy investigation.

"Now I ain't Lisa, I don't have everything figured out. But I've been doing my best to scope out just what's been happening. Sneaking into the rooms that I think can give us a clue," Lana explained as she plucked a few pictures off of the chord above the photo-chemicals.

"Us?" Lynn asked. Lana smiled at her.

"Unless you don't wanna be..."

"N-no. I GOTTA know what's goin' on. That girl kicked my ass-beat my-...was allowed to pull out a win when I wasn't playing at my best," Lynn stumbled over her words as she tried to come up with an excuse, the garbled sentence spreading the line of Lana's mouth, "...shut it. ...but yeah...I gotta know."

"Well okay," Lana nodded as she flapped out a few images, three of which were of members of their family. Lucy, Lincoln, and Luan. Lynn gave them a curious look. "Now I know what you're thinkin'. "Luan? Yeah, she's the real culprit behind the Assistant-Bot mess"-"

"The motherfucker..."

"-but what's she have to do with Linky and Lucy? Well my sporty companion, I'm glad you asked-"

"I didn't."

"Now, just hear me out on this. The other night, when Lincoln and Lucy were heading out I ran into them. And Lincoln was...like...oh my god. He looked like Lucy's boyfriend," Lana explained. Lynn's face shook wildly before popping upwards with a warped face. She scrunched her brows to try and scrub the image out of her head. "And I was like "alright guys, what are you fuckers up to?"," the sudden profanity of the sentence snapped Lynn's brain back to reality and she tilted her head down to the smaller Loud, "...I didn't use the word "fuckers", but you know what I mean. Anyhow, they were all like "oh-um-I-stammer-stammer sigh, you know, we um- sigh-". And then, OUT OF NOWHERE, Luan just pops out from behind their backs and starts going on about how they've dressed up for some act they're practicing for her and they go into this...kind of...well it clearly wasn't practiced, but this dull joke routine that was just...creepy as hell given Lucy's involvement."

Lynn rubbed her chin. So that's what Lola had meant when she'd overheard the twins talking about the matter the day before. But...to what end? Why would the one that had really been the cause of such destruction at the beginning of the week be working alongside the younger two? And why Lincoln have felt the need to cover for her. Unless...

"Alright...so Luan's behind all of this," Lynn figured.

"Ya know, that's what I was thinking at first once I realized just how far back she'd been involved with things," Lana replied as she moved another picture into focus, this one of Lucy talking to Ronnie Anne in Lincoln's room once he'd left it earlier, "but then I got to thinking: what about all the time Lincoln and Lucy have been spending together? She, I can only assume, was threatening Ronnie Anne by the sound of her voice, AND Lincoln was dressed up similar to Lucy when they left the house Friday night. And girl, you shoulda seen her and Clyde distracting us from getting to Lincoln on Thursday."

"Wait, Clyde?" Lynn murmured, "...how far does this go?..."

"The further I investigate the more I'm worried about the answer to that..." Lana sighed.

"...so...you don't think Luan's behind this?..." Lynn asked. Lana shook her head and pulled out another picture to look at.

"No...I think it's...Lucy..." Lana told her. Lynn would have laughed if she herself hadn't become so ingrained into the deductions. "The way Lincoln dressed for Friday night...his voice mimicking her deadpan tone at times-"

"Wait what-"

"-and their sneaking off together this morning," Lana reminded, though mostly to herself, "Plus, when I was hiding in Lincoln's room earlier I heard him talking about doing "favors" for Lucy to Ronnie Anne." Lynn's eyes widened. Just what WERE they up to?

"Wait, then what about Lucy protecting him? Shouldn't it be the other way around? Maybe it's just her sticking up for him then if she knows he didn't do it. And what about Luan? The Helper-Robot-thingy?" Lynn questioned. Lana peered off to the side, partly to think and partly to decide on how to phrase the next portion.

"I don't have all the pieces yet, and there are things I obviously haven't figured out, but as for Lincoln...I think he might be...an experiment she wants to protect..." Lana told her. Now Lynn did laugh.

"Ha! What? Experiment? The mad scientist is across the hall shrimp!" Lynn chortled. Lana glared at her and handed her the picture she'd been looking at. All at once Lynn's cackles quieted and she looked the image over. Staring back at her was an image of their brother, but one that'd been drawn. The material that silenced her however was what the picture had him wearing. Drawn over him seemed to be clothes more fit for a mystical man of the night from one of Lucy's books, and in his mouth was his ever present front chipped-tooth, though the sharpness of their structure seemed more...pointy than in the real world. "...what am I lookin' at?" Lynn mumbled.

"That would be a drawing I found in a box underneath Lucy's bed," Lana told her. Lynn looked up at her and then back down at the picture. "Smelled the graphite. It's only a few days old at best..." the younger girl informed.

"...so what's this supposed to mean then?..." Lynn murmured, her eyes still taking in the, under the circumstances, unsettling image of her little brother, "...how's this mean he's an...experiment?...and why would she be protecting him?..."

"I think it's what she's trying to get him to become," Lana told her. Lynn looked at her. "He does "favors" for her and she protects him when he's...in danger or something until...he fully gets there."

"Gets where?" Lynn growled, throwing her hands up. She was growing a bit intolerant towards the buildup.

"Think about it. Dressing in black, going monotone, visiting a GRAVEYARD," Lana listed off. She had forgotten that she'd been talking to one of the denser sisters. Lynn's eyes traveled back and forth across the image she was holding.

"She's...trying to...make him a Mortician's Club assistant!" Lynn exclaimed, the realization dropping on her like bricks. Lana stared at her in disbelief and hung her head. Swiftly she ripped the photo from her hand.

"No, he's becoming her SERVANT," she told the older girl as she thrust the image into her face and pointed at it, "Her VAMPIRE servant!" Lynn's mouth opened wide.

* * *

"Best Thing Ever!" a young male voice and dulled female voice sang out in unison as their owners halted their dancing with poses. They hung there for a while like that until the girl started up a dry repetative laugh, if one could call the redundant emptiness such.

"...god damn it..." Lucy murmured with a smile, "...we can't keep doing that every time I bring up dancing. You KNOW they aren't going to play that at the Ball..."

"No, but if they did we'd be more ready than anyone else," Lincoln winked. Delicately he took her hand and moved behind her causing her to twirl into his other arm. Lucy blushed as she looked up at him from within his grasp. "Besides...it helped calm down the paranoia," he told her, "whoever's been sneaking around is long gone by now. If they were still here they would've have jumped into the act with us."

"Guess Luan really knows who to pick for help with Funny Business Inc.," Lucy quipped.

"Well, I was better than you from what I heard," he replied. Lucy's head roll indicated the motion of her eyes.

"Not my fault the doofus got frightened..." she murmured, folding her arms over her chest.

"It isn't?..." Lincoln asked, eyeing the girl. A small smile trembled across Lucy's lower face.

"...it was pretty funny seeing her pop all the balloon animals..." she admitted. Lincoln chuckled through his teeth. Softly, Lucy grabbed the arm of Lincoln's inner sleeve and pulled on it. Lincoln's eyes wandered to the side and he cleared his throat. Even if he didn't have the dreariness of the Ball down, he could at least take solace in the fact that he knew there was a dance they could enjoy together. With the air more at peace than it had been most of the day, Lincoln pulled on the arm of Lucy that he was holding to spin her back into a standing position before getting down on his knee. As she came to a stop, Lucy looked down at him and felt a ripple across her cheeks as his lips met the back of her hand. With a smile he looked up at her. Neither had heard the soft clicking sound at the side of the room.

"Contemplative hum..." Lucy murmured putting a hand to her cheek. Lincoln got to his feet and put his hands on his hips. "...better." Lucy grinned as he playfully punched her arm. Lucy looked to her bed to hide the smile as she rubbed her arm. On it she could see Edwin looking back at her from within the mounds of books that were scattered across it. The smile started to reverse. "...sigh...Lincoln I-"

"No Lucy," Lincoln interrupted scratching the back of his head, "look-"

"No Lincoln...sigh..." Lucy's face had turned towards the floor and she fell back to sit down on the bed. To her surprise she found herself sliding along its edge down to the ground from the misjudged landing and she quickly scurried back onto the bed to get her proper seating where she patted off her ruffled dress and gave an embarrassed grin. Unable to keep from smiling at the accident, Lincoln plopped down next to her but quickly reacquired Lucy's former expression with her. The two stared at the ground in thought.

"Sigh...I...shouldn't have been so hard on you today..." Lucy told him. Lincoln's eyes popped open in surprise. He hadn't expected those words. "I know you're trying your best...and I know I can be...difficult to...convey...positivity properly...the appreciation I have for you-f-for what you're doing-...you...can probably never know how much I...care about...your sacrifice..." Lincoln's head-scratching had returned with a blush. "We do have all week...that is true...I was just...worried that...we would...start getting interrupted again...like last week..."

"Hey," Lincoln said putting a hand on her shoulder, "if we get interruptions we get interruptions. But I promise...I'm not going to let that stop us." Lucy put her own hand on the one that had grabbed her shoulder.

"...go to the arcade," she told him. Lincoln shook his head and inched it away a bit.

"What?"

"Go to the arcade," Lucy repeated, "You...deserve it. After all you've done. All you do...you need a nice break for the night."

"No," he replied. Now Lucy was the one to inch back.

"What?" she asked, the conversation flipped. Lincoln smiled cooly at her.

"I was thinking about it but...Clyde can wait. We'll have other weekends. This...is ours," he told her. Lucy was motionless at first, but soon enough she could feel her lips quivering. Lincoln jumped as Lucy threw her arms around his body and nuzzled her face into his chest. He didn't quite know how to react initially, though his hand did eventually find its way to the back of his sister's head where he patted her. Lucy felt like she was in what she could only fathom was the land of heaven that her kind were no doubt forbidden from. Her arms were snaked in a tight embrace around Lincoln and his scent filled her nose. The scent of the one person she could always depend on. Who would always be there when she needed someone. The lump in her throat inched upwards.

"...no..." her dampened voice vibrated through Lincoln's shirt. The boy looked down at her obscured face, "...please...I don't want to be any more of a burden than I need to be...please go..."

"Luce-"

"That...is what will help me right now Lincoln..." she told him, confident that that would be what he needed to hear to get him to go enjoy himself. Lincoln gave her a half-hearted smirk before pressing his face into the top of her head and taking in a breath of her fragrance as well. Delight swelled across her as she felt a kiss make its way through her hair.

"...you wanna come along?" Lincoln asked. Lucy looked up at him curiously. Had she heard him right?

"...me?..." she asked. Hardly anyone asked for her participation in things that she wasn't necessary for.

"No, Edwin," Lincoln joked and ruffled her hair, "of course you silly." Lucy did her best to retain her composure as she sat up and straightened her strands back out. Actually thinking about it, they hadn't exactly done much in the way of Lincoln's interests in their partnership throughout the last week. At the same time though...Lucy had a good mountain of books at her disposal...

"I...uh-...don't exactly have...much in the way of...money..." she murmured, trying to come up with an option for Lincoln dismiss her with.

"Me and Clyde can cover ya," he assured her. Lucy put her arms behind her back and kicked the ground lightly. After a few more kicks she gulped and stuck out her hand. Smiling, Lincoln grabbed it and dragged her out of the room, Edwin getting a good look at Lucy's wide grin as she vanished through the door.

* * *

Though garbed as a princess, Lola Loud marched as though a drill sergeant coming to ridicule her troops. In her hand a napkin, and on her teeth the specks of the, surprisingly tasty, Tamago Maki that the father of the household had put together. Of course the one that frequented the chopsticks the most, Leni, wasn't around to help her hold them so she had had to resort to using her fingers to pick them up. She was just glad none of the other pageant girls had been around to see her. If there was one thing that she knew they wouldn't have let her live down it would have been eating without the proper utensils. Like a savage. It took her mere seconds to spot her car parked outside of her room, its wheel and bumper properly readjusted and inflated. She was so relieved that she didn't even notice the new dent that her look-a-like's shoe had put into the other side.

"Fabulous work on the car deary," she congratulated as she walked through the door, her eyes closed, "Perhaps next time I'll throw in a bottlecap for your troub-...les..." Lola jerked to a stop once her eyes had opened, their pupils zeroing in on the one that had caused the damage to her vehicle in the first place. "...Lana dear...why do we have such...unwelcome company?..." the girly twin gritted through her teeth. Lynn just glowered at her.

"Oh Lynn?" Lana asked, "We're just waiting on our man to get back with the last of the pictures!"

"...our man?...pictures?..." Lola repeated dumbfounded, "...what are you babbling about?"

"Oh, right! Well ya see Lynn thought there was something up with Lucy and Lincoln also so she came and-"

"And I'm out," Lola declared as she strolled over to the table that her stuffed animals occupied, "I'm happy you found a friend in this nonsense sweety, but please keep the crazy talk as far on that side of the room as possible. Oh now Unice, you are not going to believe what Leni told me they were going to get before they left. So there was this piece of cake that-" Lana glared at her twin while Lola continued her riveting conversation with her silent companions.

"Eh, forget her," Lynn spat, "we got actual important crap to do."

"Yeah! Once he gets back with pics of the Creep Twins in action, THEN we might actually have something!" Lana exclaimed, giddy with anticipation, "Nice work on the nickname by the way!..even if they're not the same age..."

"Eh, it's a talent," Lynn boasted as she rapped her knuckles against her chest. Just then the door burst inwards allowing a frog to come bouncing in, camera strapped around its body.

"Hops! You get anything good?" Lana asked rushing over to the green creature. Dutifully, he nodded his head and handed the device over which Lana yanked away and rushed over to the photo-chemicals with. "Alright Lynn, kill the lights!" Lana ordered.

"Wait what?" Lola called. Smirking, the older girl in the room flipped the switch blackening everything.

"Oh you better turn that back on you-" Before Lola could finish chewing the others out, the room became blanketed in a soft red hue from specialized bulbs that Lana had installed for her activities. Grinning, she disassembled the camera and pulled out its film which she placed in the first pan of chemicals.

"Gah, don't you just love the smell?" Lana sighed.

"I'm gonna have to wear a gasmask to bed. The room smells like god damn vinegar!" Lola chimed in.

"Yeah, been meaning to ask, what's causing that?" Lynn admitted.

"That's mainly the Stop Bath," Lana explained as she patted the second pan of chemicals that she put the photo in, "though the tricky one's the Developer. There was some pretty toxic ones back in the day." Lynn gave the first pan an unsure glance.

"...toxic as in-"

"People got poisoned from time to time," Lana shrugged, "some probably died. But hey, can't figure things out without a few lung conditions, amirite?" Lynn took a step further away from the first pan. "So, whatcha thinking we got here? Spells being chanted? Them hanging upside-down?"

"I'm still trying to figure out just how Luan fits into all this," Lynn told her, "So...that whole Assistant-Bot thing..."

"What I'm thinking, with how far this is seeming to reach, is that it was probably a test run that went awry that Lucy's "project" had to clean up, either as a test for him or simply to keep the screwup from getting any worse," Lana speculated.

"Or...Luan was modifying the robot because she'd found out what was going on and wanted to bring a servant of her own as a present for the alliance..." Lynn guessed, "and then yeah...probably got out of hand. I don't think anyone wanted what happened with that thing in the end."

"You guys realize that you sound like you belong in the psych ward right?" Lola's voice murmured between the gossip of her stuffed animals. Lana and Lynn rolled their eyes. The annoyance didn't last long though. Within seconds, the photo had sat in the final pan of chemicals long enough and Lana pulled it out with the tongs she'd been using to let it dry on a paper towel.

"Alright, moment of truth, let's see what the green dude... ...got?..." Lana's sentence slowed to a stop as she peered down at the developed picture, both she and Lynn immobilized by it. Staring back at them was the image of their brother with one knee on the ground, Lucy's hand in his, and his lips on the back of her's. Lana grimaced with discomfort while Lynn gawked. "...the hell is this? What the-...why would...huh?"

"Dude, no way..." Lynn shuddered. If the normal lights had been on Lana would've noticed how pale her skin had gotten, though she was just as perplexed by the reaction without the visual. Yeah it was an unsettling visual, but she didn't see what was THAT unnerving about it.

"Hey, it's fine. I mean...we've all kissed each other at SOME point before right?" Lana tried to comfort.

"What are you sickos talking about over there?" Lola hollered. Lana just ignored her.

"I'm not sure why they would be...doing that but-"

"I am," Lynn gulped, "I've seen the movies..." Lana's head lifted. This was...a thing?

"Movies?" she asked. Lynn nodded.

"Yeah...that's what...gangsters do in the mafia as a sign of respect for their boss..." the older girl explained, her voice quivering. Lana's eyes widened. That was it. The final piece of the puzzle. It was all starting to make sense now. The Assistant-Bot, a show of power whom the more chaotic member of the setup had handled. Clyde, an outsider that showed just how far the reach had gotten within the community. Lincoln, the one that displayed what the members would eventually become. And Lucy, the one at the center of it all, her dark designs worming their way throughout Royal Woods until their entire town had become her loyal kin. Lana and Lynn stared at the image for a good minute or two before turning to each other, their veins cold as ice.

-End of Chapter-

That one took longer than I thought. Got vacation from work so I was away from EVERYTHING for like a week and then do my comics and stuff on top of all this so...yeah, this gets pushed to the side a lot. But we're still goin'! Lana and Lynn have seemingly discovered the dark secret of Royal Wood's underworld. What horrors lie in wait for their continued investigation? Will there be be any Maki left for Leni when she gets home? These questions and more may or may not be answered by the end of the story. But one thing is certain, Lynn will be having Lisa check her toxicity levels later.


	11. The Old Maid Strikes Back

Chapter 11: The Old Maid Strikes Back

With bumps and trembles, an old large block of a vehicle rumbled across the morning streets of Royal Woods. With the start of the week, the eldest of the siblings had retained enough energy from the two days off, as well as the invigoration of the previous night's outting to the mall, to take reign of the task of depositing herself and her siblings to their proper destinations. It had been a rather easy morning, certainly much moreso than the preceding week's start. No EMP to knock out the electronics or rushing around to make up for the time that'd been lost in the blackout. No, the new Monday had been nothing but smooth preparations and personalized eggs, courtesy of the middle-child of the bunch. For most it had been a surprisingly harmonic beginning, but one of the children was too focused on the cook himself to unravel in the serenity.

Lola had long since passed the point of irritation and just forced her ignorance towards her twin's constant glances towards the backseat where their older brother and sister sat. Had she cared she might have noticed the whispering that Lana attempted to overhear when it made its way up to their ears, but Lola wanted as little to do with the absurd paranoia as possible. It wasn't helped at all by the seats in front of them which housed the sister that was their brother's senior in the middle seat. Lola had noticed Lynn's occasional eye towards the back, but each glimpse lasted only a fraction of the view that Lana tended to take in. Even if she attempted to unhinge herself from the eavesdropping, Lola had to give some surprise towards the hint of worry in the sport-nut's face. That loss against Lucy the other day really must have messed her up if it'd gotten her roped into the conspiracy case Lola's look-a-like had been crafting.

"Honey, you okay?" Lola grunted at the older girl ahead of them. She almost shook her head when she saw Lynn visibly jump from her voice. Luna and Luan had been too preoccupied with their own activities at her sides to notice the call, but Lana hopped up to put her head towards Lynn's position.

"Y-yeah, I-I'm c-cool," Lynn laughed. Lana cringed upon getting a proper look at her face. Bags hung down along her upper cheeks, their skin paled and weary.

"Dude, what's with the sleep-face?" Lana asked, partly curious and partly concerned. Lynn split her attention between the blond-haired plumber next to her and the two siblings between their age-groups at the back, her pupils dilating slightly when she got the glimpses of them. Fed up with the nonsense, Lola gave her own look back at them once Lynn had returned her view to Lana. Lola didn't notice it, but she was shaking her head at Lucy and Lincoln. She could not believe the absolute unwarranted attention they were receiving from the two. All they were doing was talking to each other. Yeah, QUIETLY talking to each other, but still. Talking to each other. That was it. It's not like they hadn't whispered together before, and Lincoln did seem to converse better with the ghost of the family more than most of the others did. So what if Lucy had an actual friend to have talks with? Could that really be seen as a bad thing for someone like her? The two near her certainly seemed to think so.

"Look, y-you-...I have to sleep in the same room as her!" Lynn hissed as quietly as she could to Lana, "I might go to bed and never wake up now that we know about all that crap! I don't want my throat slit!" Lana patted Lynn's trembling shoulder. She definitely was not envious of the room she resided in, but at the same time, it's not like she could really offer much in the way of solutions. It'd be a bit odd to have Lynn just decide to start having sleep-overs in the twin's dwelling after all.

"Hey, it's fine, we-...we're gonna get this sorted out..." Lana tried to comfort.

"Yeah, how?" Lynn gave as much of a threat-filled question as she could muster under her sapped strength. For the answer to that Lana scratched the back of her head. In all honesty she had no idea what exactly they were going to do. It's not like they had the firepower to take on whatever the amount of members Lucy had accumulated was. And certainly not Lincoln if he'd gotten far enough along in his "transformation", though given his willingness to waltz about in the daytime she couldn't imagine he was THAT converted yet. But Lucy...she'd be the one to watch out for. And Lynn was right. She did sleep in the exact same room as her and had ample reason to worry for that reason.

"Okay...it can't be that hard...I mean we've captured Luan before. We just need to build up our forces and strike when she's off-guard," Lana figured.

"Yeah, but Ms. Screwball's on her side remember?" Lynn reminded her, "Not to mention Vampcoln Loud himself. That's like a quarter of the family right there!"

"Eh, I'd say more like a dollar..." Lana muttered rubbing her chin. Lynn was too exhausted to give much of a reaction to the miscommunicated conclusion she had come to. "Alright..Luan's out...no Lincoln. Lola doesn't give a fuck-"

"Got that right."

"-Luna would...hey yeah, she's one of the more reasonable ones!" Lana said. Before Lynn could do anything, Lana had leaned over to the side that the rockstar was sitting on. "Hey Luna! Hey, you uh...hey yo! Shut off the music! I'm trying to-"

"WHAT!" the shredding guitarist hollered over the chords she was strumming, "You're gonna have to speak up brah!"

"I said shut off the-"

"WHAT!"

"Shut off-"

"WHAT!"

"LULU LOUD!" Lana yelled as loud as she could into the rockstar's ear. That brought the incessant notes to a halt. Everyone that could looked to Luna who's face had warped into a disjointed daze. In annoyance she glared at the younger Loud that was poking up over the seat.

"You want something...brah?..." Luna asked. Lana couldn't tell if it was a growl she gave her or just a really deep tone to her voice. Either way, it did paint her face with cautiousness.

"Uh...heh heh...just...turn the volume down a bit...gotta ask ya something..." Lana suggested. After a pause, Luna returned to her strums, though halved in sound. "So...we got a situation...you remember the whole Assistant-Bot thingy last week?" Lana asked.

"Uhuh," Luna replied almost robotically, her attention not deviating from her instrument.

"What if we told you...Lucy was behind it?" the younger girl said quietly. Again the noise stopped. Lana gave Luna a confused look until the older Loud nearly spat out a laugh directing the attention of the family ahead of her to herself once more. The hysterics went on for a good half-a-minute before they started to die down.

"Geez...I know it was a funny joke, but...come on..." Luan rolled her eyes before returning to her interrupted act with Mr. Coconuts at Lynn's other side, the front half the car returning to their previous activities once they'd been given the apparent reason to why the musician of the group had suddenly erupted in her spasms of amusement. Lynn was pinching the space between her eyes.

"Luna come on, I'm serious!" Lana whispered once Lana was sure the focus had lifted from them. Luna gave a few more dry laughs before stopping and blinking at the smaller child.

"...I'd say you'd need to get your head examined mate," she chuckled as she returned to her hobby. Hissing some noises through the hole in her teeth, Lana returned to Lynn's side.

"That's whatcha get..." Lola smirked to herself as she stared out her window. Lana was surprised to find her ally not joining her in the glower she gave her twin.

"What'd you expect?" Lynn grumbled, "you just slid over to her and blurted that out. About LUCY."

"...kay, not my best move but..."

"Look squirt, we'll...figure this out after work-"

"School," Lana corrected.

"School," Lynn adopted the word as she continued on, oblivious to her sleep-ridden mistake, "right now, I'm gonna try to get some shut-eye. Hey Lulu, gimme somethin' soothin' will ya?" Luna muttered something under her breath as she switched to a more melodic tune. With a yawn, Lynn stretched and laid her body across the laps of Luna and Luan leaving Lana to slump back into her own seat behind them, Lola twiddling her fingers at her. Lana gave a gesture of her own from her fingers in response. She didn't even bother trying to make out the hushed conversation from the back in her aggravation.

"Come on. You were great last night," the white-haired boy told his seat-mate. Her hands in her lap, Lucy fidgeted, her head down-turned.

"Honestly...it was...it was nothing..." she murmured, her face hot from the compliments she'd been enduring.

"Like hell it was," Lincoln laughed as he slung his arm around her shoulders, an action that caused her to squeeze the appendages inwards. She hardly controlled her body as it pressed up against his. "I have never seen anyone tear through zombies like that before!" No matter how hard she fought it, the smile on Lucy's lips remained printed on them.

"You just aim for the heads..." she murmured.

"Yeah, one after the other after the other after the other!" Lincoln reminded. The persisting praise pushed Lucy's head into the air. Realizing how preoccupied the rest of the family was with their own interactions, Lucy gave into the adoration and rubbed her head into Lincoln's throat.

"Go on..." she cooed happily. Lincoln could feel a light sweat rimming his head, but he beamed through it. It was rare to see the normally-distant sister embracing such eulogies. And that aside, it's not like he wouldn't have to be comfortable with the intimacy that the coaxing offered. It went hand-in-hand with his role for their agenda.

"Well my wilted rose, the way that those streams of blood left their craniums was like the trail of the soul leaving the body," Lincoln told her, his voice lowered to her tone and his hand sliding down the arm he'd wrapped his around. Lucy looked up towards his face within his grasp. He smiled seeing that her face was now decorated with the coloring his had gained from her. "Their moans wailed to the essence of my being in the witness I bore to the genocide you gave them..." Lincoln hardly realized Lucy's face moving up towards him. She might not have either with how slowly she'd been ascending. Her nose had gotten quite a bit warmer and in his eyes she saw a draw. In those deep pupils from the pull of those crafted sentences she slid against his body.

"Come now...it was just a game...I'm sure I'm nothing compared to you...given my comparable...inexperience..." Lucy responded, pausing every few words to search for more in the trance she seemed to be passing into. She held her breath as she felt Lincoln hand slide up along her back and hold her by the back of her head. Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, Lucy swallowed and bit the inside of her lips. She had to admit, when it came to the "flirting" part, Lincoln was pretty prepared

"You...were incredible..." he murmured into her ear. Lucy opened her mouth slightly, her jaws craving the blood that flowed beneath the skin of his neck. Her whole body tingled with the inviting sensations that those of predations in her novels succumbed to. By that point Lincoln could have been saying anything and she would draw nearer to his encouraging body. However he was doing it, Lincoln was performing much more impressively than he had in the "practices" for their other categories the day before. Lucy's lower lip trembled. Though the continued rehearsing of their "act" wasn't much of a necessity, especially given their companions within the vehicle, Lucy didn't mind. She'd have claimed incorrectly if she were to say that she didn't get enjoyment from the dreary praises.

It didn't take much to coax her into the atmosphere of their "partnership", but when she was she found the company to be rather...captivating. With the other siblings of the family it differed from sister to sister, but with Lincoln...there was rarely an issue with sliding into the duology with him. He was there for her, and she for him. Much moreso than with the others. Luan could be relateable in her own show-manny way, and Leni and Lori had provided more people to talk to about Vampires of Melancholia once they'd embraced the show, but few willingly invested themselves into the oddness of her habits as readily as the male member. He could scare more easily than the others, but when it came to seeking out ghosts or adventuring into the unknown he was unmatched. And, as much as the others might have thought otherwise, she tended to like that companionship during those outings.

Lincoln smiled as Lucy leaned into him, her cheek brushing against his in the semi-hug and her mouth still craving the liquid beyond his outer layer.

"Okay...maybe you weren't as good as Clyde," Lincoln muttered. Alright, so maybe he could have said SOMETHING that would have affected the course of her body. Popping her mouth shut, Lucy pulled back off of him and glared into his grinning face from beyond her hair-line.

"You certain you're not Luan?" she grunted. All she got in response was Lincoln jabbing his thumb to a few seats ahead of them where the girl-in-question sat. "Could always be another of Lisa's robots that she got ahold of."

"Oh, yes. I shoot zombies and obey oh grand mistress of the arcade," Lincoln mocked in a stereotpically mechanical tone. Lucy couldn't hide the side of her mouth that was curling upwards from where he sat.

"Well...as long as you can still rhyme..." she mused, "...seriously though. What was that last night? Lily could have gotten the moves down better than him."

"Maybe you just don't know how to dance," Lincoln chided playfully, "Clyde told me he probably broke a record the last time he played that."

"That's not surprising if he had one on him at the time," Lucy pointed out. Lincoln's eyelids lowered atop his grin.

"Sister, you didn't see nothin' last night. When me and him hit the floor together we're the twins of the club!" Lincoln boasted.

"Well, if you're like him then no wonder we gotta get work done on you before Friday," Lucy smirked. Lincoln's grin remained, but with more contention.

"And who were you calling Luan?" he joked. Rolling her head towards the window, Lucy smiled widely. Lincoln didn't mind his failing wit when placed next to her amusement. Determined to keep her victorious expression as secluded as possible, Lucy watched as the van passed through the neighborhood it was in. They were only minutes away from school. Looking downwards she saw a surprising, but not uncommon, sight. Next to them was a motorized scooter of sorts with an elderly lady at the helm. The brows above Scoot's sunglasses gave all the indication needed to know that she was attempting to race their own vehicle in whatever crazed contest the old lady had decided upon in that instance. And she did not seem to take kindly to the fact that she was losing.

It might have been support that she sought due to the frown of the older female or the reluctance of distancing the boy at her side, but somehow or other Lucy's hand met with his. Sensing the touch, the two looked at the link and then up at each other at which point they smiled towards the sides of the backseat blushing.

"So...you...come here often?..." the older one jested. Lucy tugged at the strands of her hair anxiously. Whether she'd have come up with her own retort or Lincoln would have continued with his discomposing actions would remain a mystery. They may have had their own little space in the back that they'd cordoned themselves off in, but that did not negate the more alert senses Lincoln possessed over Lucy in the situation. He had seen movement. Movement directed towards them. Not even thinking, he wrapped his arms around Lucy and dove behind the seat in front of her that Lana was about to peek back at them over. No doubt she would be confused by their disappearance, but all Lincoln's body directed him to do was evade.

Lucy, having not noticed the oncoming eavesdropper, was left flustered in a state of stupefied ecstasy. At first she didn't know what had happened nor why she'd become enveloped in such welcoming senses, but soon she was looking up at the head that tucked her's under its chin. Craving the warmth of the other body, Lucy's too acted on more primal motives. Lincoln paid the wiggling form that his was wrapped around no mind. His attention was on the girl above them who, expectedly, was darting her face back and forth in search of them. Lincoln bit his lip. He couldn't let her catch them. Not with how they were positioned.

"...Lucy," Lincoln whispered after some quick thinking. The shorter girl looked up at him, her mouth more concerned with the skin along the throat that her head was rubbing against. "When I give the signal, I'm gonna roll over to the other side and then we both rise together. Got it?" Lucy blinked. It took some moments to realize just why it was that he had drug her to the floor of the van. Though she felt a dip in her chest from the misread embrace once she understood what was going on, the urgency that the girl above presented diminished the disappointment rather quickly. In one swift movement, Lincoln flipped to the back of the seat across from where he'd been huddling over Lucy. The dreary girl's body ached for the retreated caress, but she watched as her brother counted down from three with his fingers. Once the final finger had folded, they nodded and poked their heads up, both of them staring at their younger sister with flat-faces.

Lana nearly fell straight into the backs of the seats in front of her from the startle and she scrambled to keep her balance, eventually landing her with her arms around the top of Lynn's one. Confounded by her twin's flailing, Lola looked back at their older siblings but all she saw was Lucy and Lincoln sitting calmly at the back who waved at her once they'd given signs of noticing her gaze. Looking to her still-razzled doppelganger, Lola just shook her head. Lincoln and Lucy held their eyes to the blond girls until they were certain that their viewings had concluded before exhaling to their fullest, though quietly enough so as to not regain suspicion. Lincoln and Lucy perked the corners of their mouths upwards at each other.

"Sigh..." they both said at once which widened the expressions. They both looked to their respective sides so as not to prolong the building gaiety. It wouldn't have suited the predetermined emptiness that their "kind" should be feeling. As Lucy scanned her portion of the vehicle however she noticed something. A faint glint danced along the ground near where Lincoln had huddled over her. Curiously she picked it up, but in an instant she knew what she was grasping. It was the device from the room of their youngest siblings which Lincoln had made off with in their hiding from whatever intruder had been lurking around their rooms the day before. Noticing the object as well, Lincoln quickly snatched it away and thrust it into his backpack. Excitedly his head whipped around to make sure no one ahead of them had seen the contraption.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?..." Lucy asked eyeing the bag. Shutting his eyes, Lincoln patted the bag confidently.

"It's just a little show-and-tell demonstration," he assured her, though that had no effect on the direction of his seat-mate's vision.

"Alarmed utter," Lucy said quietly as she felt Lincoln thumb and forefinger grab either side of her chin to tilt her face up towards his. Clocks spun slower as she looked into his eyes and tried instead to focus on the freckles and confidence of his lifted brow.

"Don't worry about it," he told her, a flush calmness to his voice. Alien to the joint effort of physicality and observation, Lucy shrunk her head back out of his grasp and lifted her shoulders towards her jaw. "It'll just be a simple day at school and then home to hit the books and steps," Lincoln winked, "Griselda, my lovely decaying lily..." Lucy felt her mouth droop a bit out of surprise while an equally flustered blush found its way along her complexion.

"You got some reading done last night..." she murmured trying to hide her bliss at the revelation. Lincoln grinned.

"Told you I might have been enjoying it."

The van slowed as Royal Woods Elementary moved into view.

* * *

A glare hung on the face of the elderly woman as she neared the destination that she assumed her competition had been driving towards. Even as Vanzilla wheeled off towards its next school, Scoots could only just barely view the vehicle as more than the size of a toy car. With a curse she slammed her hand into the center of her scooter's steering mechanism. She knew it wasn't the most sensible of actions given her current velocity, but since when had anyone's well-being, her's included, ever been a top priority to her? Unsurprised, but reactive, the senior citizen clamped her hands along the sides of her seat to keep from being thrown from the careening mobile chair as her ride's wheels hit the curb of the sidewalk next to her and progressed its uncontrolled vibrations across the pathway into the schoolyard.

"Well, this ain't gonna be fun," Scoots murmured to herself as her scooter fell back into the parking-lot from another curb and raced towards the final curb available at the front of the school. "...yeah, I probably deserve this." The old woman brought her hands up to her face just in time to feel her body propelled into the air from the bump. She fully expected to meet her long-overdue wreckless end from the experience. It'd have been a blessing to go out traumatizing the local children. But, for some reason, god's hand landed her in a more comfortable padding than what she'd thought she'd be met with. With a rustle, she unblocked her face and looked around. Once she'd realized where she'd ended up, she irritably wobbled her way out of the bush next to the front doors of the school.

Looking to the side she puckered her lips and kicked the ground. She had no idea how she'd get her scooter out of the mangled mess it now lay in amidst the vegetation that they'd been thrown against, but she knew however it was going to get free should be done sooner than later. Glaring, she looked off towards the horizon. She didn't know if one of the shapes she could make out so far away was that old van or not, but she sent her expression towards it all the same.

"I will win the race someday..." she grumbled in its direction before wobbling over to her own ruined vehicle to begin her efforts to recover it.

* * *

"And that is why we saved this here diamond from that durn chasm we found deep in the man-sized tunnels beneath our property," Liam concluded. The rest of the classroom ooed and ahhed as he bowed while their red-haired teacher clapped her hands.

"Why thank you Liam, that was very informative," Mrs. Johnson congratulated as the country-boy made his way back to his desk, "Next up, Lincoln Loud!"

"At least attempt somethin' that we won't think up before you make it up there," Liam chuckled as he passed his friend's desk. Though glaring, Lincoln got to his feet and hobbled to the front of the classroom with his backpack.

"Oh oh, let me guess! It's a new model spaceship!" Mrs. Johnson exclaimed taking a stab at the contents of what lay within her student's bag. Rolling his eyes, Lincoln unzipped it and began shuffling his hand through it. Clyde watched curiously. Most may have assumed the face to be a show of defeat or submission, but looking at the backpack he knew better. That was no ship in there. Not one of Lincoln's at least. The effort it'd taken to drag it and the size and shape of whatever was inside was all wrong for his buddy's usual fare. The class watched on in anticipation as the moment of digging stretched onward. That was probably why many of the students slumped back in annoyance when he finally had pulled his possession out. An Ace Savvy comic book.

"Oh come on! THAT is what you brought?" Girl Jordan spat.

"That one doesn't even look like it's got any aliens in it," Zach whined. Clyde rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes. Lincoln knew better. That was just some random old issue of Ace. It wasn't even a new one. No...there was something more to his showing. There had to be. He wouldn't just bring in such a lack-luster item with no payoff.

"An Ace Savvy comic?" Mrs. Johnson questioned with a blink. Even she had to admit, it was not up-to-par with even the most predictable item that Lincoln would have normally brought in. It looked like it was torn up enough to have been in the backlogs of Principle Huggin's own collection. "Lincoln, that comic is...well I'm sure it has some value of...some sort to you-"

"Nope," Lincoln smiled. The teacher shook her head and lowered her eyebrows. She didn't want to have to give the boy a low grade, but he was making it pretty hard to do otherwise. His classmates meanwhile were looking around at each other while Clyde continued to rattle his brain for some answer to the odd behavior.

"Lincoln Loud, show-and-tell is an activity where we present to the class things that we find interesting in our-" Mrs. Johnson's lecture was cut off as Lincoln dropped the backpack which he'd been holding with the hand that wasn't holding the comic which revealed the other component of his performance. A glistening metal object with a slot at its base and a projection-lens at the top. The classed "ooooed" at the sight of the contraption and the teacher tilted her head. Clyde looked the device up and down. Clearly it was of Loud origin, but not by Lincoln's hand. His eyes darted back and forth between the comic and the device. Clyde was perhaps the only one in the room that had deduced what the comic was for, but the results of the perceived setup were still a mystery to him.

"...what is it?" Girl Jordan asked breaking the tension. Lincoln glanced at his teacher. She too was waiting for an explanation. Lincoln smirked at his victory and cleared his throat.

"This is my sister Lisa's latest invention," Lincoln declared.

"Shouldn't that be some new dress or something?" Rusty asked which dulled his triumph.

"That's Leni Rusty..." Lincoln grumbled out of the side of his mouth. Clyde shook his head. That boy really did need to learn more about Lincoln's siblings. "Ahem, as I was saying, this is Lisa's latest invention!"

"What's it called?" Penelope asked. Lincoln's eyes popped open.

"Uh-...the um...matter...maker...object...thingy?..." he suggested. The audience began to grow in suspicion to the importance of such of a gadget with how little he seemed to know about it. "Okay-I don't know what it's called but you uh-...put stuff in the slot here and it makes things happen!" Lincoln told them.

"Makes things happen?" Girl Jordan grinned, "Oh, that is sooooo impressive Lincoln." He scowled at her but lifted the disapproving expression as he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

"Now Girl Jordan, I'm sure that Lincoln knows more than us about it. Just give him a chance to show us what he's talking about," Mrs. Johnson said. Lincoln smiled up at her.

"Thank you," he said. Delicately he set the contraption down on his teacher's desk and inspected the dial at the side of it. Having dabbled with the settings in his room the night before, he thought he had a pretty good idea of how to operate it. With a few clicks he swiveled the dial to the 1 mark and inserted the comic. Clyde had pushed himself to the edge of his desk to view whatever was about to happen. From the lens at the top of the device, a glow emitted and a few centimeters above it a figure faded into view. One that possessed a rather refined physique and a red outfit. With a grin, the form of Ace Savvy looked around the room from the glow he was projected from while the classroom gaped in awe. The character from Lincoln's comic book was there. And he was moving! Hurriedly, the children congregated to the desk and pushed against each other to get their looks at the hero.

"Yeah, it does STUFF," Lincoln grinned at the brown-haired girl that had pushed up against him. Girl Jordan just turned her reddened glower away from him.

"Gee willickers, would ya look at that?" Liam gawked as the miniature hero flexed in front of the ring of children.

"I never thought he'd look so cool off the page," Rusty commented.

"Can you do One-Eyed Jack?" Clyde requested eagerly. Lincoln rolled his eyes.

"Might need an issue where he's more present for him to pop up," he told him.

"Wait, what all can you put in it?" Zach asked.

"Oh, anything that fits in the slot," Lincoln shrugged. A few of the students looked at each other in thought. Even Mrs. Johnson's eyes turned skyward to contemplate what she herself might have chosen and grinned.

"...so is that it?" Mollie asked, her amusement already having dampened. Lincoln gave a look of disbelief at the girl.

"Is that it?" he scoffed.

"Yeah..." Girl Jordan agreed with the opportunity for reimbursed dismissal presenting itself, "I mean it's...neat, but...it's just one little guy." Lincoln squinted his eyes at the smirk she wore upon finishing her sentence.

"Oh you want more? Fine! Here!" Lincoln grumbled forcing his way to the machine. The crowd eagerly pressed up against him to get a good look at what lay in store. With a few clicks of the dial, those that had begun losing interest were forced back into the experience. Along the walls of the room a few insignias rippled into view while the walls themselves gave way to a more "printed"-looking composition. From out beneath a few desks at the back a strange-looking superhero vehicle sprouted as did a pod containing what looked to be Ace Savvy's outfit on a mannequin. The children and teacher turned outwards to watch the unfolding setting. Lincoln couldn't help but do the same. He had experimented some in his room with some gaming discs and books, but he'd set the dial to a position that he'd hardly dared to go before.

"This thing is awesome!" Rusty exclaimed clicking the dial up another notch causing a large mechanical arm to spring from the wall and grab somebody's desk.

"Hey, let's take it down a bit!" Penelope yelped tilting the dial back a few degrees. Some of the items started to vanish, but it didn't take long for them to return with even more companions as Zach tried to counter the cautious girl's action with his own twist of the knob. Lincoln cringed with fright as he noticed all the hands reaching for the controls of the device. Mrs. Johnson couldn't even make a grab at it in the commotion. Fearing what lay beyond the settings that he'd already laid witness to, Lincoln dove into the crowd and tackled the device from the other kids' grasp. With a grunt he popped himself up on one arm where he'd landed and rocked his head back and forth to clear it. He bit his lip and turned his face to the rest of the class but was surprised to find them not approaching their kidnapped prize. In fact, they seemed to be backing away. Lincoln's eyes trailed around the walls and ceiling of the room.

It was hard to tell what cracks and objects were forming and what ones had already been there prior to his grab at the device. But one thing was for sure, they were continuing to appear. Even quicker than before. Vibrations on his arm, Lincoln now realized why the room's other occupants had begun to retreat and gulped as he looked down. Laying within his clutches was a rather violently shaking piece of equipment that had begun to glow. And its dial had been twisted so far in the chaos that it had been jerked straight past the numbers that Lisa had written on it. Lincoln opened his mouth to scream, but it never had a chance to emit it before the room was enveloped in a blinding flash of light.

* * *

Lola Loud lifted her head up. She had been hard at work on the latest joint-solving-effort from the class to complete the math equation that had been written up on the board at the front of the room. An addition one. The most basic of problems, but for some reason the answer kept coming out one or two off from what she thought it should have been. As she'd been trying to formulate the desired number in her head however, something had tugged her attention away from it. It'd been something...in the air. The last few minutes the disturbance to her subconscious had been growing, but just what it was had remained a mystery. But now it'd affected most of the class. Looking around provided both relief and worry. She could see that most of her peers, her twin included, had started looking around, but for what it was they didn't know.

Then the screams started. It'd been distant at first, but soon enough a few children started running by in the hall. The teacher tried to reason with the students to remain calm and stay in their seats, but as they got up to investigate the commotion outside most of the children seized the opportunity and crowded at the doorway to get a look of their own. As Lola and Lana made their way to the front of the pack they looked down the hall from where the lessening evacuees were retreating and stared in confusion and disbelief. A flood of objects seemed to be breaking out from the walls and lockers. Telephone-booths, searchlights, cars, even parts of buildings. And the materialization seemed to be heading their way. But just beyond that seemed to lay the source of the disruption that had been distracting their work. A low, but growing hum.

The teacher desperately tried to push against the kids to get them, and themselves, back into what little protection the classroom might provide, but it proved futile. Before long the hum became overpowering, and those few that hadn't escaped into the hall to try and head for an exit found it impossible to hear. As a brightly-colored coffee-shop window popped into view on the wall next to them, Lola and Lana peered down the hallway into the direction that the sound was growing from and realized something. They couldn't see. There seemed to be some sort of bright glow creeping quickly through the hall. The twins hugged each other tightly and let loose a silent wail as the glow engulfed them.

* * *

Lisa Loud jumped. There it'd been again. That rumbling cracking vibration. Ever since a little while after she'd arrived at school the pulsing that she'd been feeling had been getting stronger and more frequent, and, though there'd been nothing severe enough to warrant much of a reaction from the others of her classroom, she knew that some had been noticing it. Each time she'd felt one of the surges she'd seen at least a couple of the other students look around. Even Ms. Shrinivas had started to show a degree of suspicion. In the back of her head however, Lisa could have sworn she knew the experience from somewhere. Some...some experiment? Maybe. She couldn't quite tell under the pressure of the assigned Macaronii art she'd been attempting.

"Lisa...what is that?" her most frequent interactor asked worriedly. Lisa's face wasn't nearly as worried as her's, but it was becoming similar.

"Oh it's...it's probably just...tremors beneath the crust is all..." she told Darcy. In the back of her mind she knew it was something more, but there was no need to startle the girl.

"W-what are...tremors?..." she asked. Lisa smiled and shook her head. At least the explanation gave her an excuse to drift from the anxiousness that the vibrations had been arousing.

"Darcy, tremors are simply the shifting of the tectonic plates beneath the surface of our world. It's usually the cause of rumblings and, in more extreme cases, earthquakes but-YAH!" Lisa's recital was cut off as she jumped back with Darcy. Some sort of stone-comprised structure had just jutted out from the wall sending the children into a panicked scramble to get towards the back of the room. The others probably took no note of it, but Lisa could tell quite clearly that something was wrong about the seeming-skyscraper that had appeared. There was no...rubble. No sign that it had broken through anything. It seemed to have literally just formed out of the wall itself. As her eyes darted around Lisa spotted more objects appearing. Newspapers, utility belts, giant robot body-parts. As the low hum shook the room Lisa's pupils dilated. She'd realized too late just what was going on. Having no time to question why it had happened, Lisa did all she could think to do and threw herself around Darcy. The classroom shielded their eyes as a bright flash overtook them.

* * *

Lucy's pencil shook in her grasp. She'd felt the start of the trembles just in time to catch the barely ricketing utensil to keep the disruption from ruining any more of her doodle. That tremor had quieted the teacher a bit. Lucy could feel the heads of the class looking around in a mixture of worry and confusion, but she hardly cared. It was her teacher's fault. If the lesson they'd been having to endure hadn't been so boring she might not have become so focused on the picture she'd been diverting her attention to. Lucy unknowingly smirked at the picture. The rest of the class had begun to gather at the door of the room to get a look at what was going on down the hall, but Lucy was too enthralled in her work to care. If the building collapsed it collapsed. At least she'd be haunting its remains with a quarter of her family, least of which was the one within her drawing.

Lucy hummed to herself as she drew. The graphite rubbed onto the paper in the dark clothing that she covered her brother in. She didn't fight it. She knew what she wanted to draw. Ever since she had gotten to her class her thoughts had remained on that closeness in the vehicle that had dropped them off. The hand-holding. The huddling beneath Lana's spying. Lincoln's limbs folded around her. She could feel something bubbling in her stomach, something that twisted at her insides, but not in an unpleasant manner. It magnified the craving that her loneliness provided. Her smirk shifted to a more unkempt smile as she etched in the figure next to his. Lucy drew in her own form with just as drab of clothing as her brother. After a few quick jerks of the pencil, the sketch was completed with the fanged faces of herself and Lincoln smiling lifelessly back at her, their hands interlocked.

"Sigh..." she said as she stared at it. The more she gazed the more the memory of his smell spun around her head. She didn't know what it was about it that made her feel so...invited. Sure he was helping her but...the desire she felt. The admiration towards his presence. It...it was unlike any she'd ever had. "Sigh..." she murmured again as she slouched her cheek into a hand that she had propped up on her desk. He may not have dove straight into the horrors of her passion, but he did put his foot out for her, something that nobody else ever cared to do. And looking at the picture she could only imagine what it might be like to have such support on her everyday endeavors. To have someone there for her...always. She smiled at the fangs that she'd drawn on him and herself. It...wasn't...impossible for him to fully partake in the hopeless fears of the world's shadows...was it?

Lucy fidgeted in her seat as she thought, her legs squeezing a bit tighter together. She barely noticed her fingers running along the jaw on the picture's Lincoln. As much as she sought the boy that she was after, she hoped too that her "partner"'s companionship would not be finite. She wasn't used to such prolonged joint efforts, but with how engaging Lincoln could make the assistance, she didn't want it to stop. Beneath her sleeves her arms had begun to itch. Was this what it meant to have people...care about you? Sure the rest of the family did so towards her on their own unconditional level, but the persistence of Lincoln's commitment was something different. Lucy lifted a hand to her cheek. She hoped she wasn't wrong in her views. Though her life was isolation, if this, this genuine togetherness, was her's to experience she wondered if she could ever happily settle back into her shunned emptiness again afterwards.

The bubbling in her stomach emptied into a pit at the notion. There was that thought again. The wonderings of what might be once all was said and done. The culmination of their efforts, be they of failure or success, and the probably abandonment following it. Should they succeed it would at least ensure some form of company, for however long that might last. But with or without failure, would that be it? Her most dependable confidant dispensed back to his prior patterns, their time together becoming as limited as they had been before? Lucy gulped back a sickness that she could feel swirling inside her. So what if things returned to normal? That's how they'd ALWAYS lived their lives. That was NORMAL. What mattered was that they accomplished their mission. Why then did she feel such illness whirl inside of her as she looked over her picture? All she could think of were those two figures drawing closer towards each other, as those that they were based on had in the van.

"Sigh..." Lucy grumbled. Why was it prickling her mind with such nuisance? Lincoln had helped her out countless times throughout their lives. It's just what the family did for each other. Well...most of the family...Lori would usually lend Leni a hand given their elderly history within the group, Lola and Lana had each other's backs, and most of the others aided when necessary. Except for when she needed help. With the curse of being the forgotten one it did her no favors when it came to requesting aide. Many times she had to resort to blackmail or deals of some sort to get the other sisters to lend her a hand in her more unsettling interests. And while she had done so with Lincoln as well on occasion, he usually required much less prodding, and even then he'd usually be willing to participate when spurred. Almost always he'd be the only one that would be.

Taking the paper in her hands, she lightly crinkled the sides in her clutch. No...she didn't want to go back to how things were. Not with the kind of alliance she'd partaken in throughout the past week. Her undead heart swelled at the thoughts of what the enhanced kinship could lead to. She spited herself for allowing hunger for such a fantasy given her isolated nature, but as she continued to think she couldn't help the direction her mind traveled in. All she could think about was what all they could do together which brought her thoughts back towards the dealings throughout their history to solidify her hopes. She thought of how he had helped her out with Rusty. How he had taken the fall for her during the Princess Pony investigation. The empowering memories made her lips burn. Even something as simple as Ace Savvy hunting that ghost with her in the resort that the family had stayed at that-

Lucy blinked. Ace Savvy? Nervously she rocked her head about. Why had she thought of that name? It was Lincoln that she had hunted that ghost with. Of course Ace Savvy had figured out that it'd been in the air conditioner but-

Again she shook her head, this time more violently. What the hell was up with her? Why was she suddenly thinking about how Ace Savvy had defeated Flash Card by trapping all of his henchmen within his deck of-

Angrily Lucy lifted her fist and hit the side of her head. To her dismay all that did was impair her vision for a few seconds. Her mind was still filling with previously unfamiliar memories of the superhero Lincoln read about. The impact did snap her back to the situation-at-hand however. The screams and hollers of the school's other residents were finally reaching Lucy's ears. She looked towards the door where kids were attempting to cram their way past the wall their peers had managed to make with their bodies in their efforts to try and escape whatever was coming towards their classroom. Now that she was looking around, Lucy noticed her oddly-shaped shadow on her desk and reached up to tug at the hood that had seemingly formed around her head. Confused, but unafraid with her altering persona, Lucy got to her feet and faced the wall as a bright light burst from it and ensnared the room.

* * *

His breath heavy and his limbs sore, a lone figure dashed as quickly as he could through the backstreets of the city. In one hand he swung a firearm, and in the other a jewel too big for his grasp. By the quietness of the sirens' wailing he knew that he had long since lost the pursuit of the police, but he dared not stop. Just because the authorities had given in did not mean that the chase was over. Not as long as those that persisted on justice and fairness walked the Earth. Quickly he whipped his head around. He'd seen it again. As with the last times it'd been nothing more than a blur of shadows, but it had been something. Something that was there. That was after him! Frantically he drew his gun and fired off a few shots. With how fast he was running he knew there was no way he'd have hit anything, but he hoped in vain that it'd be enough to get the follower off of him.

The few pangs from the ricocheting bullets were enough to tell him that the hits hadn't connected, but he didn't care. All the crook cared about was making it to his getaway car. His chest heaved and his brow sweated. The run from the museum had been taxing enough on his escape, and the figures from the shadows had not helped matters. But it was within reach. Only a few more yards and he'd be home free! Skidding, he rounded the upcoming corner of the back alley of the drug store he was behind and charged as fast as possible towards the vehicle in the distance. He could hear its engine revving when he lost his footing and toppled into the ground. Spitting up dirt he looked towards where he'd tripped and the pupils of his eyes shrank when he spotted the object his feet had collided with was a card. A playing card. With an ace on it.

Not even bothering to aim, the criminal whipped his gun towards where he'd been running from and started shooting. Bullet after bullet shot into the hall of the alleyway, some hitting walls and others disappearing into the shadows, but none elicited any reaction from a person. He continued to pull the trigger even once his ammunition had been spent, dull clicks clacking from the gun's hollowed chamber. Sweat poured down his face. He prayed for his legs to move. He ordered them to. The car was only meters from where he sat! But the dread would not allow him to. Even without seeing the interference some part of him knew it was over. After around half-a-minute of silence, the evil-doer's mind had recovered enough to allow him to attempt the remainder of his evacuation, but that had been the moment that his opposition had been waiting for. With a swift "shunk!" sound, the crook jerked to a stop and looked down at the ground where another card had become embedded in the ground beneath him.

"Haven't you heard?" a demanding voice called turning the criminal's face towards a nearby fire-escape atop on which he saw an imposing silhouette, "When you deal with crime, justice deals you out!" In fright he lifted his gun to fire but received nothing but a "click" from his emptied weapon. The lack of propulsion startled him just long enough for another figure to speed out from where it'd been hiding in the shadows of a nearby patio and deliver a strike to the criminal's cheek. The blow spun him around a few times before he regained his footing and tossed his gun away in favor of a knife that he'd procured from his pocket. Desperately he dove at the blue-clad assailant but was met with another brightly-colored form.

Having leaped to the ground during the first strike, the white-haired boy that had made the announcement rushed in to confront the criminal and thrust his hand towards the blade which he blocked by a card that he held. The criminal gritted his teeth as he pushed back against the unusual weapon, but it was no use. They seemed evenly matched. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the first figure darted back in to deliver another strike which caused the villain to stumble. In the disruption, a shiny object dropped from his person and bounced along the ground, but the card-wielding hero he'd been dueling with took little notice as he rushed at him in the pause. The criminal pulled his blade up just in time to block the slash from the card, sparks flying from the collision.

As the hero and villain continued their attacks, the bluer protagonist took note of the unnoticed gem and began to approach it. He probably would have nabbed it too if the position that his partner nudged their enemy into in his latest attack hadn't alerted the criminal to where he was headed. With as much force as he could muster the criminal shoved the red hero off of him and raced towards the diamond to try and pilfer it before the blue one could, but another card that was shot in front of his feet was enough to wobble him to a stop. With the dark-skinned hero having acquired his stolen loot and the red-clad one approaching him with a hand at his card-deck, the criminal did the only thing he could think to and turned to flee.

A few cards whizzed past his head as he went, but he managed to dive into the vehicle through an open window before it sped off. The two pursuers skidded out into the street, but by the time they'd gotten there the car was on the horizon, cards fluttering out of the cracks they'd made in it.

"What a harrowing turn of events. We had the scoundrel right there in our justice-dealing-hand, and he still managed to get away!" the white-haired boy lamented, "But fret not fair city, for Ace Savvy swears that as long as there is breath in his body, not a single hand will go unplayed! Justice shall prevail!"

"At least we were able to fold this case," his eye-patch-wearing associate reminded holding up the diamond, "Crime may not rest, but we will have vengeance someday! In the meantime, we should return this jewel to its rightful owner."

"I guess you're right One-Eyed Jack," the white-haired boy nodded, "Nice work on the sneak-attack by the way."

"Oh it was nothing. Ya know, with these costumes I...I don't know, I just feel like I could take on the world!" Clyde exclaimed, "And you! I mean have you been listening to yourself? Your speeches are comic-gold!"

"It's just all those years of practice finally paying off," Lincoln told him as he rubbed his knuckles against his chest. He tried to play the victory off as casually as he could, but as they walked back through the alleys his boisterous face betrayed him. The giddiness surging through him couldn't be hidden. By the time they had a view of the museum that the prize they were carrying had been taken from, their mouths were rife with exclamations and bemusements. "And then he just ran away in fear!" Lincoln recited from one of their previous escapades causing Clyde to burst out in laughter.

"Oh man...I can't believe it...I wish you'd told me about L-...Lisa's latest invention earlier. This has made...EVERYTHING so much more awesome!" Clyde told him excitedly as he thrust his fist into the air. Though as excited as ever for the oncoming adventures, Lincoln's head tilted downwards a bit.

"Oi, well what have we here?" a boy in a sherrif's outfit smirked as he and a few other children dressed as police approached the heroic duo. Giving his own grin, Clyde handed the diamond back to the apparent officials and placed his hands on hips.

"Gollee! It's a miracle!" Liam gasped as he pushed his way to through the crowd of cops in trousers and a straw hat.

"Yep, you boys are somethin' special alright," the leader of the police-kids congratulated, "Another case closed!"

"I'll say! I can't thank you folks enough!" Liam told them as he clutched the diamond to his chest.

"It's what we're here for," Clyde declared boastfully.

"Right! Think nothing of it!" Lincoln added, "As long as the diamond is once more in Farmer Liam's hands and able to be displayed at the museum that is reward enough."

"Boy that Ace Savvy sure is something," one of the officers swooned.

"Certainly makes our job easier," another agreed as the crowd began to wander back towards the building the robbery had taken place at. Clyde continued to push his chest out until he was sure that the audience was gone. Looking to Lincoln he was surprised to find his gaze pointed towards the sidewalk. "Ace, what is it?" he asked.

"What? Uh-nothing. It's...just...guh, it never feels right when the crook gets away," he grumbled as he folded his arms over his chest. Clyde laughed and slapped him on the back.

"I hear ya Ace, but these things happen. They lead into other issues, sometimes story-arc building ones."

"It's not just that," Lincoln murmured as he shrugged off his friend's hand, "this crime-wave that's been happening. It's...drastic. And we still haven't seen nut or bolt of The Card Counter-Lisa...LISA's invention." The boy cleared his throat and spat a few times. "Buh bluh bluh! Why is it so hard to say our normal names? I mean I know we get invested in the issues but...meh." Clyde smiled and shook his head as he continued his pats against his friend's back.

"Ace, you just need to relax. Just gotta take these cases one play at a time," he told Lincoln, "and besides, even if we don't find where that thing skittered off to, what's the worst that could happen? Us being stuck in this awesome version of the school?" Eagerly, Clyde threw his arms out to the streets around them, the buildings along their sidewalks towering into the sky and blotting out the clouds above. What had once been lockers and classrooms now lined the pathways of the metropolis with various buildings that children occupied or worked at, the residents themselves bustling about in garbs from decades past. While Lincoln still felt his heart skip a beat at the vivid sights that he dreamed of so often after a good night of reading comics, he could feel a twinge of awriness from the scenery, a sense that his face portrayed however briefly to his comrade.

"I know what you need," Clyde told him. Lincoln lifted a brow to him. "Ace Savvy always feels better after tracking down an escaped target," he reminded him. Lincoln grinned.

"He'll turn up no doubt, but with such a sizeable diamond he must have been part of whatever big spree's been going on. And I think I know just who might be behind it."

"Y-...you do?" Clyde asked. Lincoln nodded and turned to a street that seemed to go on for miles. With the crimes they'd halted thus far it'd given them a pretty good idea of what paths had formed out of what halls of the school.

"Who else would be behind a crime-ring here?" the red-costumed hero smirked as he put his hands on his hips, "If we're gonna be going after the heart of their organization though we're going to need some help." Now Clyde stared down the street, its branching paths presumably leading towards where the lower grades of the school called home. "And I think I know just where to find it."

* * *

While normally a student for soar eyes for those of the physical division, Lynn Loud had found it rather hard to keep up with her usual routines throughout the duration of gym. To be honest she'd found it hard to even keep up with her peers. Every so often a passerby would spare a glance at the normally-boastful athlete, her limbs flopping limply by her side as she pushed onwards in futility. Most simply assumed that it was the aftermath of her defeat over the weekend. Quite a few members of her school had been gathered to see her, what they had assumed would be, victory and of them a good number had been sure to make some sort of remark when she'd been within earshot that morning. Even if they hadn't seen the defeat the word had spread pretty fast about what had transpired with the queen of the field. Normally they'd have been warded into silence from some sort of threat or glare by her, but with how zombified she'd seemed most of the discussions had quieted from her unnerving sleep-deprived unresponsiveness instead.

While some had believed her lack of performance to be due to having put herself through the wringer to try and improve her feats after what had transpired with her black-haired sister, one student knew better. Coming up on her again in her latest lap, Margo slowed to a brisk walk as she neared her and peered at her face. She'd gotten a pretty unnerving feeling from it on the previous go-around, but getting a better view she could tell it wasn't a normal exhaustion. There were wrinkles sure, but alongside it she could see the swirls of worry.

"Whatchu want?..." Lynn's mumble nearly made her friend trip from the suddenness of the words.

"Oh n-nothing, just...you feeling okay? Everyone's been passing you. I think Ms. Keck's a bit worried."

"I'm fine..." Lynn assured her with a yawn, "Just...just gonna take my time with this lap..."

"Ya sure are...been on it for like two minutes now..." Margo told her. Lynn's glare may have dispensed with others, but Margo, despite the imposition, stayed at her side.

"Ugh, fine," Lynn grumbled, "I couldn't get any sleep last night. Sis has got me worrying about some demon-operation gangsters and crap." Margo almost stopped walking.

"...demon...operation...gangsters?..." she repeated slowly. Lynn rolled her eyes. She couldn't explain it to her. Along with being seen as the fallen hero of the school she'd also have been labeled as insane if she confided to anyone about what Lana had revealed to her. And she, the only one that had any idea of what they were up against, was in an entirely different school due to her grade. "Look, normally I like to help, but...you gotta gimme more than that..." Margo said.

Lynn was about to just tell her to get back to focusing on her own laps when she heard something. Some sort of chatter. Cracking one crusted eye to the side she saw a boy lightly jogging by with his hoodie up, and in his ears were devices he was not supposed to be wearing. But that's not what caught her attention. No, she was guilty of the odd disobedience herself. What she had turned her head towards was a few words that she had heard from the earbuds. It'd been muffled, but she could faintly make out "Royal Woods Elementary" when he had passed. Margo hopped in her jog as Lynn sped up to catch the boy whom she yanked one of the earbuds out of the ears of and shoved into her own ear, an action that caused a rather alarmed yelp from the kid.

"Keep moving and I won't tell," she threatened. The boy bit his lip. "...also you really need to turn this crap down. God this is loud."

"-police have been attempting to break through for the last hour or so, but the...structures have just been too tough," a reporter noted through the audio pieces, "Where once Royal Woods Elementary stood, these...what appear to be, numerous skyscraper-looking...I'd call them buildings, but there's no entrances, have completely encompassed the area trapping anyone that had been inside the school within. Officers have attempted to tear down the walls of the structures but they remain unmarked, and the helicopters have reported that they are so pressed together that even at the top there is no way to get between them to get inside. This is Katherine Mulligan, reporting live from Royal Woods Elementary and we will be continuing to keep you update as-"

Her eyes wide, Lynn pulled the earbud back out and practically threw it into the boy's ear. She hardly had time to question why he'd even choose to listen to the news of all things while they were working out before becoming enraptured by more urgent matters. Royal Woods Elementary. Whatever the hell was going on sounded like it wasn't good, and she, the most versatile member of the family, the one who could save the day every time, was just running laps! Coach Keck practically cheered when she saw Lynn speed up and blaze past the other students in the remainder of her lap but joined Margo in confusion as she proceeded onward past the ring around the gym that the students had been running in and sped right out the door into the hall.

Grabbing a skateboard from her locker as she ran, she felt her energy returning to her. Her mind may have trembled at what Lucy might do to her as she slept if she caught on to her knowledge of the dreary sister's dealings, but Lucy was still family regardless, as was Lincoln. Their agenda would have to be dealt with when it arose, but if they were in unknown danger she had to do something. And there was no way she was just going to sit by while Lana, the only other Loud she could rely on, was trapped in some kind of city-prison thingy. With a clack Lynn hit the ground outside the entrance of the school on the skateboard and sped off as fast as she could towards Royal Woods Elementary.

* * *

From within the dark clouds that obscured the heights of the more ill-respected parts of the city a lone figure watched and noted, their ever present gaze across the littered streets of distrust and contempt scanning for any and all forms of injustice. Within the last hour alone they had put a stop to at least seven different instances of malcontent. Breaking and entering, kidnapping, hijacking, and even a bottle missing the garbage can. All guilty parties had been obstructed and righted. But it wasn't enough. It was never enough. Not in that part of the city. Crime would always be present, and they, in their lone efforts to bring about justice, would be forever working, forever toiling, in their misery to bring back hope to the people they so valued to protect.

Turning their gaze towards the street almost directly below, the figure noticed two others, and ones much more brightly-colored than they, wandering about. They were searching for something. The figure had been wrong. They weren't ALWAYS on their lonesome. Silently it dropped to lower landings on the tower they'd been perched on until they were just above the two boys on the street below. That was when it had noticed something across the road from them. Another infraction. Someone had put a plastic bottle into a rather full garbage can. And a recycling bin had been right next to it. A recycling bin they had chosen to ignore.

"The darkness of the city climbs higher and higher, threatening to constrict and bleed the decency of society dry. Its dark tendrils snake their way through the underbelly of the community and, eventually, it will consume all. That is what threatens it. And what I...must fight against..." the girl above murmured in a rather unemotional tone. The two boys looked around trying to find the source of the words until they realized that it'd been echoing down to them and looked upwards, the owner's vision still fixed on the misplaced garbage. "Where once there was tranquility now spreads a stain of ignorance and arrogance, the likes of which tyrants would-"

"Hey Eight!" Lincoln called causing the girl's eye to twitch from the interjection.

"...the likes of which tyrants would envy in their-"

"Eight of Spades! Hey! Yo! HELLO!" the boy continued to beckon, his arms waving around below with Clyde's. The dark girl's eyes narrowed as her mouth shrunk to a less vocal shape. It took all of her will to focus on the words she was crafting.

"...thelikesofwhichtyrantswouldenvy...in their quest to...quest of...mmm...greed and..."

"HEY LUCY!" Lincoln blurted more loudly, his efforts having been guessed to have been falling on deaf ears, "We're down here! You see us?!" The words a lost cause, the much darker vigilante tilted her head to the street below. "Hey! She's looking at us!" Lincoln declared.

"...sigh...Ace...must you interrupt?..." the heroine grumbled.

"Interrupt?" Clyde asked. As the younger girl dropped down next to him he let out a cry and backed up a bit.

"The bleakness of the underworld, it sinks its venemous teeth into the succulent flesh of the innocent, stirring their terror and upending their lives," Lucy announced as she pushed her face towards the frightened sidekick, "the vileness of evil aches all. It slithers and worms about in its spited existence until it chances a strike, a chance that I must reflect."

"U-uh-umm...YOKAY!" Clyde gulped. Hesitantly he stumbled back behind Lincoln and grabbed him by the shoulders for protection. Determined to continue with her monologue, Lucy followed Clyde's trail in her walk up to Lincoln.

"It is I that this part of the city relies on for protection. The isolated dark beacon in the uncontrolled hell that the night brings to it and its residents. Should its ever vigilant guardian not be there to-" Lucy's elaborate descriptions were cut short as her brother put a finger to her mouth to hush her. Blushing, she pulled back a bit and turned her head.

"It is good to see you in such spirits Eight of Spades. Ever the determined presence," Lincoln told her as he put his hands on his hips, "but duty calls. An unease has shuffled the cards within the heart of this city. And we believe we have figured out just who might be behind this recent crime-spree."

"Hm. Then it seems our paths have crossed once more," Lucy nodded, "If it helps to quell the unrest of this community, then we should join forces."

"Hold on. Ace. Eight. Do you hear that?" Clyde asked. The other two turned their heads towards the far end of the street. From around the corner a car skidded into view and began speeding at them. Lincoln and Lucy looked at each other and nodded. The heroes got into stances as the vehicle accelerated. Its occupants clearly were not of their fanclubs. The whir of the car's engine practically masked the first few shots, but soon enough the air was becoming riddled with all manner of bullets from the weapon that one of the criminals produced from a window. Lincoln and Clyde leaped to the sides while the girl of the group seemed to disappear into the darkness of the air above. Taking aim at the driver's window, Lincoln threw his hand out shooting two cards straight through it. It took a couple of seconds, but the car soon spun out of control and slammed into a lamppost.

Clyde, who'd managed to dive into the window that the bullets had been firing from, tore his way out of its door with the crook that had the machine-gun. He attempted to fire a few more shots, but Clyde slid up in front of him and forced the firearm towards the sky allowing the ammunition to spray about useless before he knocked the weapon aside and struck his opponent in the stomach who fell to the ground winded. Clyde noticed his adversary's partner who'd begun to sneak out from the wrecked vehicle with a knife just in time to see Lincoln dive onto him from behind. The criminal tried to recover from the tackle, but with each lift he tried to get his legs to make Lincoln gave him another punch or kick. Once he'd finally managed to wobble to his legs, the swipes of his blade were hardly a preciseness to be threatened by and a few more strikes to the head laid him out on the ground.

Lincoln and Clyde grinned at each other but jumped as they heard a metallic thump from behind them. Looking over their shoulders they could see a hooded figure standing on the roof of the ruined car lifting a spade-bladed shovel-like object over her head. Lucy brought the item down and with a slash the roof of the vehicle was torn asunder revealing the driver within who had his hands pinned to the steering wheel by Lincoln's cards. The final criminal in the passenger's seat pulled out a shotgun and pointed it at the girl, but he couldn't pull the trigger. It's not that he didn't have the gall. No, what stopped him was the figure. That dark ominous shape of the unholy avenger that towered over him. Her unseen eyes shot down at him like daggers in a blind test against fear. Biting his lip, his trembling hands threw the weapon to the backseat of the car and he scrambled out from his door and crawled across the street. He didn't dare look back, but he knew she was still there. Watching. Following.

After a few trips in his flailing of an escape, the criminal fell over onto his back and began to inch away from the approaching dark figure that'd dropped down next to the car. A few more pulls of his arms backed him up against a public mailbox on the sidewalk across from where he and his companions had crashed. He trembled with fright. The girl just stared at him. The accusing posture stood before him for an eternity of moments before finally it brought out its weapon-of-choice once more and lifted it above him. Realizing the likely fate he let out a scream as she slammed the shovel down. Clyde gasped but Lincoln stuck his arm out to try and calm him. Lucy pulled the blade back out from where she'd stuck it into the mailbox next to the criminal's head and his fainted body fell to the side.

"Holy..." Clyde said under his breath. Lincoln stood more confident, though wary, as Lucy approached them.

"Those that test justice must be prepared to pay the price," she grunted. Though not the biggest supporter of such intimidation, Lincoln nodded.

"You may propose the wonder of just where to draw the line sometimes Eight, but it is good to have you on our side," Lincoln told her. He could see a small smile beneath the shadow of her hood. "But come, we must depart comrades! Even as we speak, evil brews. Let us assemble the others and deal out the criminal mastermind behind these misdealings!" Lucy and Clyde nodding to each other, the trio turned and began to race through the city streets.

* * *

Lori Loud tapped her pencil against her desk. She'd long since worn a good hole into the finish along the top of it, but still she drilled ever further into its material. She couldn't help it. Ever since the first round of gossip had whispered its way throughout the school she'd been wracked with anxiousness. The raps of the writing utensil along her desk had been all she could really do to stay focused on whatever meaningless tripe the teacher was forcing themselves to recite to the students to try and hide the growing tension. Lori wasn't the only one in the classroom that had siblings at Royal Woods Elementary. She knew that. But there was hardly anything that anyone could really do about the mysterious situation that had seemingly befallen it if the various messages students had been receiving from friends and family were to be believed. Still, that did nothing to aide her trembling hand.

She was the oldest of the family. She'd seen all the others from their start to wherever they had progressed to now. When danger struck, no matter what the others might think, she knew that it was her responsibility to see to their safety. And whatever was going on over at her previous school was seeing to it that that would be an impossibility. The teacher's voice quieted a bit as the class listened to a noise hum past the building in the sky above. Some sort of whir. Looking out the windows the students could make out helicopters flying further into the suburbs of Royal Woods. While some of the students moved to the windows to get a better look at the choppers, a tap on the shoulder caused Lori to look back over her shoulder.

"Hey, think you should...see this..." Carol Pringley said quietly. Curiously, Lori glanced at her phone to see a video playing on it. In the scene was the sign for Royal Woods Elementary, but the structure behind it was far from looking like a school. Where the building should have been seemed to be a bunch of skyscraper-looking structures shoved together to form a jumbled mess of a wall. And in front of it was a rather familiar kid. Her clothes may have been slightly different, but there was no mistaking Lisa Loud's figure.

"Please! Do not approach the building!" she was trying to reason with officers that were attempting to pull her away from the skyscraper-thingy. Each time they got within a few feet of her however they would back off. One of them seemed to blur for a second before he jumped back. "It's spreading! Just stay back!" Lisa continued to insist. Squeaking the legs of her desk, Lori got to her feet and headed for the door of the classroom.

"Lori Loud!" the teacher exclaimed, the demeaning tone only catching a few of the preoccupied student's ears, "Get back to your seat!"

"W-...what are you gonna do?" Carol inquired.

"Help my family," Lori grumbled and exited ignoring the teacher. She wasn't surprised to find others in the hall. Various kids of the different grades were caught up in their own congregations of theories and stories. Even some of the teachers were discussing the commotion that'd entangled the overall community. Her own clique however was gathered near the bulletin board. It's there that she saw two of her brown-haired sisters with a blond-haired girl that had a blue streak in her hair waving to the more musically-inclined one as she walked away from them. Luan's own accomplice was patting her on the shoulder.

"About time you got here," Luna greeted, "Any news on your end?"

"Helicopters just flew towards it," Lori told her.

"Gosh, I thought that was a really big fan or something," Leni commented causing the group to jump.

"Leni! Wha-where'd you come from?" Lori sputtered at her sudden appearance.

"I think our parents..." she responded as she put a finger to her lip in legitimate thought. Luna and Lori exchanged annoyed expressions.

"Or a brain harvesting factory..." Luna murmured.

"Why would you say that?" Luan gasped, "she'd have just been kicked out of there!" Both Luan and Benny laughed at the punchline leaving the Lori and Luna to roll their eyes while Leni continued to think, now with the added confusion about a factory that dealt with brains.

"Oh I doubt they'd even pay her any MIND," Benny added producing even more laughter from the duo.

"Yeah, it's not like they'd THINK of her," Luan joked. While the "comedians" rolled in each other's humor, the other's faces only grew more irate. Even if Leni didn't understand the context of their quips, she knew Luan well enough to know that such a series of emphasized words were justification enough for the glower she'd joined in on. Luan and Benny tugged at their collars under the unamused expressions and gave each other a few nervous chuckles.

"Heh, I'll just be...uh...heh," Benny coughed as he jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. Softly he grabbed Luan's hand and the two kissed flipping the looks of irritation on the other sisters' faces to rather startled ones.

"Thanks for the jokes..." Luan whispered into his ear as she rubbed her cheek against his.

"Anytime..." he whispered back. The two parted and he walked off, but not without one last wave after taking a few steps. Luan waved back until he was out of sight and turned to receive her own brand of annoyance from her siblings' faces.

"Aw..." Leni cooed while Luna covered her mouth to hide her chortles.

"At least my guy has things in common with me," Luan said rolling her eyes. That cured the rockstar of her bemused noises. One who's face had hardly changed at all however was the eldest one's.

"Gosh Lori, what's wrong?" Leni asked as Luna attempted some English-insult at the smirking comedian.

"The others," Lori reminded, her eyes down-turned. Luan and Luna stopped their confrontation to join in the worry. "Lisa was outside of the school, er-...whatever the school's turned into that is."

"Turned into?" Luna asked. Lori nodded.

"The footage I saw had the school looking like it's been transformed into a bunch of squished together skyscrapers, and Lisa was in some really...superheroey getup," Lori told them. Luan and Luna gave each other an odd look.

"That type of mayhem sounds like it's got her experiments written all over it," Luna said.

"So what are we going to do?" Leni asked. Lori looked at the other sisters and pulled her keys out of her pocket.

"We're going to rescue em."

* * *

The center of the city. Within the tangled web of streets and crime rested its heart, the central point from which all else spun and swirled like a washing machine of pure corruption. At least that'd been what it'd been in issues past. Ever since the Full House Gang had muscled their way into the scene the number of crime-bringers had dropped significantly, but even still, its former architect was always subject to suspicion. And who else could be pointed to as a more prime suspect? Never had the group encountered such efforts to do away with them as they had in their most recent tackles of the city's underworld of criminals. Silently three sets of feet landed on the roof of the building at the centermost point of the collection of buildings they'd come to and the red-clad boy put a foot onto the extended glass dome of part of the roof where he rested an arm to get a better look inside, joined soon-after by his accomplices.

"You'll never get away with this!" a blond-haired girl yelled angrily. Alongside her was a rather similar girl, though in different clothes.

"Our suspicions were right, they've got The Royal Flush and The Queen of Diamonds," Clyde murmured.

"Coming here was the only play of the hand those two would've made if they weren't in their part of the city..." Lincoln nodded, "I just wished we would've gotten to them before they decided to head off on their own."

"Then we would've never gotten to teach the crooks in their area a lesson," Lucy reminded.

"Shouldn't ever need to to begin with Eight," Lincoln told her.

"You're too soft Ace," Eight argued, "The maniacs will never learn unless they see some of them get put Eight feet under." Lucy and Lincoln shared a stern look.

"Hey, any of you dolts wanna let us down so we can kick your ass?" Lana barked to their captors from the rope holding them to the ceiling of the building's interior. Noting that they'd have to put a pin in the differing philosyphies, the relatives on the roof turned their attention back to the window.

With a shatter, glass rained down into the warehouse. The minions within that hadn't been caught offguard by the eruption pointed their firearms to the air in a vain attempt to gun down the intruders, but by the time most of the ammo had whizzed past, the heroes had hit the ground and were knocking the small squad around left and right with punches, kicks, cards, and a shovel. There were so many adversaries and such frequent movements that those that had captured the two that had gotten there before them had been finding it hard to even get a beat on the others. When they'd finally lock onto a target the specimen would zip onto their next prey and when they didn't another hero would get in the way to take them down.

"Hey! Any of you wanna deal us out of this?" Lola screeched. After giving a quick look around to see that she had time to spare, Lucy took aim and threw her spaded-shovel at the ropes that held the twins. Lana winced in fright, but soon found herself afraid for entirely different reasons. Feeling the material unravel from her body, Lana's eyes popped open and she desperately latched onto her sister who'd hung onto the remains of the rope that was suspended by the ceiling. With a smirk, Lucy looked to where the shovel had landed, but before she could retrieve it she felt a white-hot sharp pain shoot through her thigh from one of the various "bangs" that'd been firing around them.

"Agonized grunt!" she said a bit more loudly than normal as she clutched her leg. Falling to one knee, there wasn't much that she could do as her attacker approached, gun still aimed at her. Another hero however wasn't so helpless.

"LUCY!" Knocking out his current opponent, Lincoln charged for the darker hero. His path soon became blocked by three more of the enemy who had caught onto his plan, but a flurry of cards saw to the incapacitation of their guns. After that it was a simple somersault over one of them to flip into the path of the one that was approaching the younger hero. The assailant turned his head just in time to see the boy's knuckles. Lucy looked up as the antagonist hit the ground, blood leaking from his nose. Though embarrassed to have required the help, she took Lincoln's hand allowing him to help her to her feet. With the duo collected towards the center of the room however, the remaining assailants began their approach towards them. Lincoln readied his cards with one hand while the other held Lucy's recovering form.

He didn't have to use them however. Having dealt with his own attackers, Clyde hopped up from behind one of the ones approaching the others and wrapped his arm around their throat choking the focus on the rest of their body out of them and allowing him to flip them over, where he knocked them out before tackling another. In quick succession the sidekick depleted what he could of the remaining enemies, but even he began to become overwhelmed. Just as he was about to succumb to their numbers, Lincoln threw a few cards taking the ones grabbing Clyde out. The rescuers looked skyward as another weapon appeared and swirled around him knocking out the last of the attackers before swinging back onto Lola's head like a boomerang returning to its owner. The danger averted, the twins fell to the ground, but before they could make their remarks towards the others a loud "BANG" interrupted the scene.

"Enough!" an older male voice yelled with a smoking gun in his hand. Lola, Lana, and Clyde got into fighting stances while Lincoln remained with his arm around Lucy. "How dare you barge in here and attack my Hall Monitors..." Slowly he walked down the steps leading up to his office, each click of his heel spinning the spurs of his black boots. Lincoln's eyes narrowed as he stepped into view.

"Wild Card Willy..." he muttered.

"Us? YOUR goons were what started this!" Lola yelled.

"Yeah! We're just returning the favor!" Lana agreed with a smack of her fist against her palm.

"It's over Willy!" Lincoln yelled. Principle Huggins lifted a brow at him.

"Over? Young man, I'm not sure you know what you're talkin' about," he glowered.

"The crime-wave! It's you! Who else would be sending all this trouble out in this city?" Clyde accused, "And why else would you string up The Royal Flush and The Queen of Diamonds?"

"Yeah!" the twins chimed. Huggins' eyelids lowered. He was long past the mood for playing around.

"For this very reason," he scoffed, "every time something goes wrong it's always Willy. Always the former villain that gets the blame. So you'll have to forgive me if I don't have much sympathy for those that sneak into my headquarters." Lola and Lana eyed each other.

"And the guns?" Lincoln growled, his grasp tightening on the arm it held of Lucy.

"Do you see any blood?" the older man asked. Lincoln and Lucy both looked down at where she'd received her "injury". All that they could make out was a light bruise. "I mean other than the blood you goody two-shoes have knocked out of my people that is," Principle Huggins added unamused, "Rubber bullets. That's all they were using."

"They're lucky we didn't put em in the ground..." Lucy muttered earning her a glare.

"Alright, if you're not behind it then who is?" Lola asked in a bit of a harsh tone.

"How should I know?" he replied with a shrug.

"Because you Willy were one of the top crimelords of the city," Clyde responded, "after all, there's a reason people suspect you when stuff like this happens. It's not just a random draw of the cards." Lola grabbed at her tiara, Lola pulled out her wrench, and Lincoln aimed his cards.

"Alright alright! Stop!" Huggins sighed holding up a hand in front of him. Aggravated, he rubbed his brow with his fingers. "Like I said...I've got nothing to do with these lunatics that've been robbing and causing the police so much trouble. But...I may know someone who can give you some answers..." he admitted. Looking to each other for acknowledgment, the gang holstered their weapons and approached the older vigilante.

* * *

Sirens wailed all around and helicopters whirled in the air above, but little progress of any sort had been made. Where once Royal Woods Elementary had stood was now erected a plethora of tall buildings that had been squashed together into one collected structure around the presumed prisoners that had been the students of the school. But there was hardly anything that could be done. Whenever anyone got close to the structure they began to feel...different. It wasn't sick so-to-say so much as bizarre. There'd be a warm calmness that'd wash over them followed thereafter by a vicious sense of excitement. And alongside their emotions the ones that endured the sensation began to notice other anomalies. Officers would tug at their clothing and body as they began to morph, their dressing becoming more old-fashioned and saturated in hue. The ones that managed to make it through the barrier of oddity had ventured further into the hole that the cops had found at the side of the building, but none had come back out.

The one that had been able to make the opening was thankful she did so when she had. While the effects were more prominent the further a person got into the structure, she could still feel herself ebbing away from what she once had been. Her personality. Her memories. If she weren't as busy as she always was she might actually be worried at the faltering grasp on her psyche. But if there was to be any recovery of her former self, or anyone else's, she had to do everything she could to come up with a solution. And, knowing how the outside world would probably react, keeping people away from the school had been her first priority. They didn't need to risk anymore people than necessary within the morphed property, not that the officials that remained required much prodding. Relatives on the other hand...

"Lisa honey, I know you think it's safest for us to stay here, but Lincoln, Lucy, Lola, AND Lana are all inside! We can't just sit here!" Lynn Sr. complained from behind the blockade the police had set up.

"Your father is right dear! At least don't fight with the police about letting them in!" Rita agreed.

"GOO!" Lily added from her mother's arms. Lisa gave her an annoyed look which Lily shrugged at.

"Lisa...Lisa..." she murmured to herself. She squinted a few times. The genius was thankful if nothing else to have the people she knew keeping her grasp on reality more anchored. She didn't want to admit it, but she had had the urge more than once to just simply return to the innards of the structure half of the community seemed to be gathered around and leap into the fray of criminals that no-doubt plagued her esteemed portion of the city, but she fought against it. Even if, at times, her mind didn't understand why, her determination forced her to proceed with her studies of the event. She'd almost abandoned the effort until her parents had shown up panicked over what may have happened on the inside of the building.

"Hm...what is this?..." the girl murmured. Kneeling down she put her fingers into the dirt near where the entrance of the school had been. It seemed as though there were some skid-marks followed shortly after by a small crater in the bushes. Some sort of...vehicle had been there. Almost as if it'd crashed. But what it was and wherever it had gone to was a mystery. But she had her suspicions. In the back of her mind an image flashed through her head sending a jolt of worry through her. But just what the image was was only vivid enough to gather the barest senses of. And it certainly wasn't as urgent as the matters that once again reared their ugly head. Noticing the murmurs of the crowd around the location, Lisa looked back to see an unnerving sight. Where the grounds of the normal community met with the grounds of the school was a rather clear divide of what property was what. As with the school, the ground that it was on had been morphed as well into a more dynamic version of what the parking-lot should have been. And it had begun to pulse its way outward. Again.

"Get back citizens!" Lisa ordered as she bounded over to the perimeter, "Get back NOW!" Fearing the effects of the expanding warping of the land, most of the visitors did as they were told, whether or not they had heard her cries, but the ones that didn't watched as their clothes began to change into various dresses and uniforms. Even a police car phased into a style more akin to a Polara. Lisa had managed to shove a few of the effected individuals back out of the boundaries reverting their visuals back to normal. Those that didn't leave out of fright looked around a couple of times and one or two clutched their heads. Of them only about two more left while those that had grabbed at their skulls looked down at her.

"Oh my gosh! Card Counter!" one of the ladies exclaimed.

"Hm?" Lisa hummed to her.

"Golly, what happened to us?" one of the policemen asked, "And why do I feel...guh...wha..." He shook his head woozily. "Say...wh-...Wait, Card Counter? Aye, there must be criminals around huh?"

"Oh n-no," Lisa hesitantly replied, "My apologies officer, but what do you remember?"

"What do I remember? Well shucks hero, I was just minding the perimeter of some...ungodly paradox...and then the...field of effect...got...bigger and...hey! What the-? What's going on? What happened to me?" the man panicked as his persona collided with his memories and he realized where he was. He and the young girl looked towards the hole that she'd originally come out of to see a few of the effected people running through it. The two did their best but only managed to turn back three of them before the police-officer's mentality once more began to feel the effects and Lisa hurried him back to the outside of the field.

"Lisa, if you're going to get people out, then at least come over here yourself too!" her father ordered. She couldn't though. If she did there was no doubt in her mind that the skeptical fools on the other side would take her away for examinations. No, she had to stay right where she was. It was where she'd be most useful for figuring out just how to reverse the effects of the event, and there was no doubt in her mind that one invention in particular of her's was likely behind it. Besides, there was hardly anything that the authorities could do. The people that actually could help out hadn't arrived yet. And so she'd continue to wait for them on the edge of reality.

* * *

"Ace, are you sure we should be here?" One-Eyed Jack asked. His stern expression may not have showed it, but his nerves certainly didn't coincide all that fondly with the bat he had had to wave out of his face, something that he knew, deep down, his partner would be taking issue with as well. Looking back he could see Lana excitedly swiping her wrench back and forth at the creatures while her look-a-like just checked herself in a pocket mirror she'd taken out. About the only one that was truly at home was, unsurprisingly, The Eight of Spades. Even without a smile he could feel the tranquility from the setting radiating from her. But from Lincoln he received no response. The hero just kept pushing on in front of him.

Clyde could hardly remember what things had been like before dawning their deserved outfits, but he did know that it had changed them. Lincoln, for however wreckless he could be, had been quite easy to fright, as had Clyde himself. But now? Lincoln dove straight through gunfire. He knocked out literal criminals. Not that that was any surprise. Ace Savvy faced such trials on an everyday basis. Why was One-Eyed Jack even questioning how his partner acted? It's how he always was. Clyde stopped for a moment and put a hand to his head before moving on. What had just happened? Loosely he shook his head. He'd been thinking about...Lincoln...Lincoln. Yeah, that was Ace's name. And now with him having taken on this crime spree he was more courageous than ever.

Likewise Clyde had changed as well. Though not as endangering as Ace could be at times, he was certainly not the pushover he had been. It felt like a lifetime ago as he tried to remember how he'd been made fun of by bullies or been given wedgies. But if those annoyances had approached him as he was now, One-Eyed Jack would have a thing or two to teach them. He was not for the abuse of power, but it was nice to have some weight to throw around, and a daredevil outlook to back it up. What had made him jump in fright would now be no more than something to wince at. If that. Not with the hero he now was. But bats? Leafless trees? Gravestones? All that was missing in the city's cemetery was the howl of a wolf.

"Just a little further..." Wild Card Willy murmured from the front.

"Better not be dragging us out to this bone-home to fold our cards..." Lana grumbled.

"He's not. I'm pretty sure I know who we're looking for," Lucy told her. Lana didn't know why, but for some reason she didn't quite want to trust the darker hero. The reasoning behind the wariness though was something she couldn't quite remember. But they were in her part of the city with where the cemetery was located, so she didn't have many options for directions either way. She was all for stomping through the dirt, but the location did hold a sense of foreboding. As they made it up to the top of the hill they'd been traversing however, the caution turned to morbid fascination. At the bottom of the other side rested a collection of graves. A few rested to the left and the right of the clearing at the bottom, but they resided around a much larger one, one that both Wild Card Willy and The Eight of Spades had begun their hike towards with Ace following slightly behind them and One-Eyed Jack hesitantly joining him.

"Ugh. The sooner we get out of this wilting mess the better," Lola scoffed as she kicked off a few of the crunchy leaves that had collected on her shoes. Lana hung back further than the older heroes, but kept up pace enough that she could still hear their footfalls which was more than could be said for her twin who didn't even seem to have much interest in the venture. By the time Lana had gotten to as safe a distance as she'd allow she heard the oldest of the group speaking.

"-so you know anything?" was all she heard of Principle Huggin's inquiry. Even Lola spared a look around at the silence that followed. It wasn't normal. The crickets stopped chirping, the leaves stopped rustling. Even the air felt like it'd slowed to nothing. And then it exploded. Like a whirlwind a current swept around the alliance threatening to fling the vigilantes every which way, but they stood their ground within small tornado. With plumes of green smoke, shadows rose from before the gravestones in front of the group, and from the middle-most one a figure of a girl showed. Even with the smoke dissipating, one of her eyes remained covered by her black hair with the visible one looking down upon the group.

"Geez, talk about dramatic," Lola mumbled.

"Haiku, and the Mortician Feeders," Lucy bowed. Huggins joined her, a bit more hesitantly, in the action. The girl scanned her vision across the audience and smiled.

"Well, if it isn't Ace Savvy and the Half-House Gang," she joked. None of the heroes gave more than a look of deterrence. "Are you here to see Eight off to our side?"

"Not yet. My work remains undone," Lucy told her, "As long as the horrors of the mortal realm require correcting, I must answer the call."

"Sigh, ever the hero," Haiku smirked revealing her rather sharp fangs causing Lana to shudder. Clyde coughed and looked away with a blush as her eyes fell on him. With a light shade of her own, Haiku diverted her attention to the ones at the front. "So you want to know what this little crime spree's about huh?" Lucy, Lincoln, and Huggins nodded. "And what makes you think we know of the culprit behind it?"

"Because you lot always know about the darker dealings of the city," the older of the group pointed out, "It wouldn't be the first time one of you has ratted a gang-leader out. I should know." Borris let out a hiss from where he stood but a ricochet on his tombstone from one of the principal's bullets was enough to force his intimidation back. Though annoyed by the treatment of her kin, Haiku put a hand to her chin in thought.

"I dunno...you "heroes" don't usually have much you're willing to trade for such info..." she thought aloud.

"You little-" Lola started.

"We have worked together before though," Lucy reminded. Haiku eyed her then lifted her vision back upwards.

"WE have worked together. Normally we don't assist others like the comrades you surround yourself with," Haiku told her, "there's a reason why we offer YOU the chance to join our ranks."

"Then we'll just have to get the information some other way," Clyde declared slamming his fist into the palm of his hand prompting Lola and Lana to reach for their weapons. Haiku however looked at boy with a small smile.

"...well...since you asked so nicely Jack..." she cooed, "...though...it would be fun to go a round or two with you again..." Lincoln gave his sidekick a incredulous look.

"...it was...a one-shot issue..." Clyde murmured as he rubbed the back of his head bashfully.

"It's funny though, you lot, teaming up with your former enemy once more to take her down..." Haiku noted. The comment sent the group into a series of glances between each other.

"Teaming up? Against...her?" Principal Huggins repeated questioningly.

"Again?" Ace added. Then their eyes widened. "Wait, you don't mean-!"

"Even now aide comes from the edge of the city. One your acquaintances has arrived to lend their hand, though their heart lays conflicted on their feelings about certain ones of you," Haiku informed, "and we sense that more are on the way. But will they get here in time? And will all of them even help? That I can not say. Though even those amongst you might have their doubts about if you should succeed in your quest."

"Doubts? Why? We're a team and we need to stop this crime-wave!" Lincoln argued. Haiku smirked.

"Oh Ace. Have you forgotten so easily? No...it's there. You know it still, though your memories are changing. When you reach your destination, you will likely be reminded of it. If you haven't forgotten entirely that is."

"Cut to the chase foreseer, where's she hiding out at?" Huggins pressed as he drew his gun and pointed it at the vampire.

"Where else would you get the equipment necessary to leave this dream-prison?" she asked.

"Dream-prison?" Ace and Jack said quietly to each other. Something stirred in their memories. Something that Lincoln and Clyde vaguely recalled, but not that they could make out entirely.

"I believe there is one of you that patrols this city that is not currently within it," Haiku told them. Lana's mouth fell open. She knew exactly who to go to when her normal wrenches wouldn't cut it.

"Card Holder's left her post?" Lana gawked spreading alarm throughout the group. The information gathered and the urgency heightened, Lana and Lola started back up the hill.

"Thanks Mortician-Feeders. Justice shall not forget this service," he told them before departing while Huggins stayed for a moment more to give a nod to her. Clyde stopped in his following to share a look with the leader of the vampires, her bashful smile mimicking his. Lucy, the final one to take her leave, was about halfway up the hill when the female vampire's voice sounded again.

"You shouldn't worry so much. I know not how it will turn out in the end, but you'll never be alone," Haiku told her. Lucy's legs stopped, but she didn't turn to face her.

"I fear not isolation. They may get in the way sometimes, but I have worked with them in the past and will do so again in the future. And I know this will be ended. He, if no one else, always pulls through," she replied.

"Why do you think I'm talking about the crime-wave?" Haiku asked. The hooded figure just stood there for a few more seconds before continuing her march up the hill.

* * *

Wheels screeched as Lori Loud tugged at the steering wheel. The van just nearly missed colliding with the back end of a car in front of it as she sped through the streets. Thankfully not many cops seemed to be on the road given the events that had been unfolding throughout the day. Luan and Luna clung desperately to the backs of the seats in front of the spots they'd taken in the van while Lori skidded the vehicle into the lane to their right to avoid another potential crash. Leni covered her mouth to keep her lunch from leaving her body.

"L-Lori...can you like...s-slow down?..." she requested groggily. Lori wasn't in the mood to ease off on the gas however. Whatever was going on they needed to get to it, as soon as possible. They all knew it. Those skyscraper things. The ground around it. It all looked like it was out of one of Lincoln's comic books. Whatever had warped the younger kids' school needed to be stopped. By them. The closer they drew to the location the more their minds insisted on it. Luan looked to the setting sun ahead, her normally joking demeanor having faded to a rare one of anxiousness. They wouldn't have to wait long to make their impact. The growing structure that they'd been speeding towards had been getting larger and larger ever since it had come into view a minute or so before, and with how fast they were going it wasn't long before they were to its doorstep.

The crowd in front of it dove to either side of its path once they realized the vehicle had no intent of slowing down. Even the police soon gave up on their directing in favor of self preservation. Rita and Lynn Loud Sr. only just briefly caught glimpses of their children's charge before Luna leaned out of the side of the vehicle to snatch the youngest of the siblings from them while Luan likewise helped the second-youngest onboard, their speed having not at all decreased. The van ricketed and bounced across the grass of the parking-lot as it swerved towards the hole that Lisa had come out of originally in the structure and dove straight in. The passengers clung for dear life to their seats as they were flung into the air, but as they did they felt something washing over them, at least those that had just arrived.

Their entire bodies rippled and swam with a metamorphosis that, upon the wheels of the van hitting the interior of what had once been the school, left them warped into more vibrant colors and outlandish designs.

"Strong Suit got in earlier to head for the others. But thank god all of you are finally here," Lisa said. Though they had had some issues with the driving on the way to their destination, the sisters now stood in place just fine in the heroic looking van as it passed by car after car within the fabricated city's streets, the former students looking on in wonder at the arrival of the rest of the Full House Gang. "We better hurry though. There's no telling how much time we might have left before the effects become too much."

"Hang on girls, we've got an issue to fold!" High Card told them as her foot applied what seemed to be an impossible amount of pressure to the gas pedal.

* * *

The collection of vigilantes peered at the tucked-away hideout of the youngest member of the Full House Gang that resided within the city. While it definitely lacked its owner, there was still an evident amount of activity that seemed to have gone on in her absence. Trucks and cars of all sorts had been parked along the sides of it and criminals of all professions had gone in and out in the time that the group had been spying on the location.

"It seems that the vampires were right in their assessments," Lincoln said.

"They may not play by the rules all the time, but they can be a good source for help if you know how to talk to em," Principal Huggins added, "If I head on down I can get a good diversion going for you lot to slip in and deal with the head honcho."

"Whatever keeps me from chipping my nails," Lola said, her removed glove allowing for further manicuring, "Can't have a victory photo-shoot when I'm all scratched up." A few of the other heroes rolled their eyes. One however had been running options through their head.

"We still don't have much detail on just how the security is," Lucy pointed out, "I say me and Ace sneak down there and scope things out first to get a good feel for it."

"Good idea Eight of Spades," Lincoln grinned. The younger heroine blushed at the compliment. "One-Eyed Jack, while I'm gone you're in charge. If you see one of my aces in the air that's your guys' cue to lend a hand. For now try to stay inconspicuous." The others nodded and the pair started down the hill that ran along the back of the hideout, its height just barely hiding the location from those that might wander near the woods it was located in. Through their footings they could feel the looseness of the soil and rocks shifting around their steps. The uncompacted ground was probably one of Card Counter's various methods of defense for someone that might wander into the premises if they had not managed to find the tunnel to travel to it, which no doubt had its own slew of traps.

As Lucy and Lincoln met with leveled ground, they somersaulted over to some of the parked vehicles and poked their heads out from behind them. They had seen a few of the property's invaders throughout their stay on the hill, but it seemed that most of them had stoled away within the base itself by that point. The only ones that remained outside were a few guards, which the duo took out rather steathily. Lincoln had chopped one in the back of the neck as he passed by the vehicle he was crouched behind and yanked his body out of sight while Lucy ran across the tops of a few cars and leaped onto two of the others. A sharp "clang!" took care of them and she stepped out into the open. The remaining guard lifted his gun to fire at the exposed hero, but a card sliced into his gun barrel jammed it and Lincoln rushed at him and knocked him out in his confusion.

"Getting a bit cocky there," he grinned.

"I knew you'd handle it," she grinned back. Unbeknownst to them however, another hero had been watching, and that'd been viewing them for far longer than just the brief brawl they'd just competed in. Once she'd entered the city, Lynn had started to become overwhelmed with a sense of do-gooding and crime-stopping, but seeing Lincoln and Lucy together, in action, did something to her. The reality that she'd left had started to crawl back, and in the cautiousness that it brought she looked towards the group they'd left at the top of the hill where she decided to make her entrance. It'd been a light thump behind them, but it'd been enough to get the attention of the youngest of the group.

"Strong Suit!" Lana exclaimed. The older hero put a finger to her lips. Lola gave her an odd look.

"Well, about time you showed up. Alright, so lemme tell you how this is gonna go. If you see some goon trying to go for my nails-"

"What part of "finger-lips" don't you understand?" Lynn grumbled quietly, "Royal Flush, get over here. Need to talk to ya."

"So you're not gonna tell the others you're here?" Lola asked in annoyance. She was unfazed by the glare she got, but figured it best to not test the stronger hero's intent.

"Uh...okay, w-what's up?" Lana asked as she went over to Lynn. The older girl tried to lift herself up on her toes to look over the edge of the hill, but couldn't quite do so without risking the notice of the others.

"What do ya mean what's up?" she grumbled, "Lincoln and Lucy are right over there!"

"...Lincoln...and...Lu...cy?..." Lana repeated slowly, her mind genuinely trying to reintegrate the names into its mentality, "...you mean Ace and Eight of Spades?" Lynn slapped her forehead. She couldn't believe the response. She knew that her mind had begun to become affected once she'd passed Lisa in what had been the parking-lot of the school, but with how recently she'd arrived she could only assume that was why she'd retained a better grasp on her memories than the younger sibling. But it was still there within Lana. She'd known who she'd been talking about at least.

"Yeah! Well...no. I mean LINCOLN and LUCY..." Lynn repeated more slowly. Lana's eyes narrowed and her pupils looked from side-to-side as she thought. Yeah...that...that was...their...REAL names...and with their verbal announcement she felt more worry when she thought about Ace and Eight of Spades...but why? "Look, we're all superheroes here right? What better chance do we have than now?"

"Chance?" Lana asked, "What chance?"

"To take them down!" Lynn proposed. The younger girl took a stunned step back.

"Take them down? Their our partners!" Lana argued. Her mind however fought with her. Were they? Why had she begun to question them?

"No, not Ace and Eight of Spades. Lincoln and Lucy!" Lynn said again trying to drill their true identities into her head, "The creep twins! The undead experimenting! The-"

"-vampire mafia!" Lana finished. Lynn smiled from ear to ear as she picked up the younger hero and twirled her around. With a quick halt she brought Lana closer to her face and grinned. "What's say we teach those punks a thing or two while we, Royal Flush and Strong Suit, can?" Lana had to think about it for a second. On one hand, they had a mission to complete, and Lucy and Lincoln, for whatever they had done in their past lives, were in the midst of a pivotal part of that operation. On the other however, they did have the skills and abilities within the personas they'd been given to actually make some form of an impact on the suspicious pair. If nothing else, they could issue a warning or show of power should they attempt anything on them in the future. Eventually, Lana's grin joined her older sister's who started bounding through the trees to the top of the hill. By the time Lola had alerted the others of the charging duo Lynn had already landed on the roof of a car near Lincoln and Lucy which's window caved and shattered from the sudden landing.

"Strong Suit!" Lincoln exclaimed, the startle even getting a Lucy's attention from where she'd been looking at a panel on a door of the hideout, "Thank the lord help has finally arrived. You can assist us with-"

"Cut the hero crap Lincoln," Lynn spat as she allowed her own companion to leap to the ground next to the car. The boy lifted his brow.

"...Lin...coln..." he said quietly. Lynn rolled her eyes. Of course he would've become even more wrapped up in his persona than Lana had.

"Yeah. Lincoln. Lucy. We know what you two are about," Lynn growled. Lana grabbed her head for a moment. The names again hit her brain. Was she seriously having trouble with them after just having been told them on the hill above a few seconds before? The heroes in question however just looked at each other.

"...what we're about?" Lucy asked, though her voice held more reservation than Lincoln's had had. She didn't know why, but she felt she should harbor some concern for the accusation.

"Oh you know why we're here!" Lynn yelled, "I ain't waking up with no knife in my back!"

"Yeah!" Lana chimed in, not knowing quite the fullness of what her "partner" was talking about. Angrily she got out her wrench and put it over her shoulder like a baseball bat. Lincoln and Lucy looked at each other again and got into fighting stances. They didn't know just what was going on, but they could tell from the air that it wasn't something they'd be making it through without a confrontation. As the others got to the bottom of the hill they could hear sirens going on around the standoff and could see various criminals pouring out of the sides of the hideout. Lynn, Lana, Lucy, and Lincoln though stayed focused on each other. It was at about the time that the criminals were halfway to them that the oldest of the group sprung into action and launched herself at Lucy, the memories of her defeat from a couple of days back just vague enough to single the victor out as her target. Lana likewise took up arms against the other combatant.

The criminals that didn't stop to stare at the odd scene would have probably overwhelmed them if the other heroes present hadn't intervened. Just as the group of miscreants made it to the edge of the duel the opposing side did as well and entangled themselves within their own battle.

"The fuck are you morons doing?!" Lola yelled over the crooks she knocked out with her tiara. Lynn ignored the criticism and continued with her flurry of punches and kicks, most of which Lucy blocked with her shovel. Those that made it through however connected with a rather uncomfortable amount of force. She may have reigned over her when it came to one particular sport, but when it came to anything else physical pretty much she, nor any of her kin, could compare to the athlete. To her fortune her reflexes had been experienced by her years of observation. But that would only last for so long.

Lincoln meanwhile was faring his own against the smaller opponent of them. Lana may have had energy, but she certainly didn't have the maneuverability that his legs provided. The swipes of her wrench came furiously but with each one Lincoln managed to sidestep out of the way or duck or jump beneath or over them. He did throw a punch of two but his worry held him back. He didn't want to hurt one of the others. That's probably what eventually landed the weapon against his thigh causing him to bend over and grab the injury. Growling, he kicked with his other leg, but Lana blocked it with the wrench. He tried to strike again, but again she blocked. She wasn't as defenseless as he'd given her credit for and so he upped the ante. Kicks and punches came. Some hit, some didn't. Both of the heroes made their marks until a final blow from the wrench caught Lincoln in the chest and flung him back against Lucy's back, she herself having been kicked into him from Lynn.

Lincoln and Lucy looked each other and turned back to their opponents. They could feel each others' ragged breaths pressing against their bodies. Lana trudged slowly towards the boy while Lynn approached in a boxing-stance. Around them criminals fell left and right to the force of the other heroes. Having taken out about five more of them, Lola ran at Lynn to try and reason with her by force but simply ended up getting her face grabbed before being flung back into the crowd of heroes and criminals to their side. Lincoln and Lucy bit their lips and eyed each other again. They had given their resistance against the opponents, but it hadn't seemed to have been enough. Lana was feisty with confusion and determination and Lynn was pumping with adrenaline. The most they could do was hope to surprise them in some way.

"Switch?" Lincoln asked as Lynn and Lana began running at them.

"Switch," Lucy nodded.

Just as their adversaries met with them, the two middle-children spun around and countered the charge, Lincoln catching Lynn's fists and Lucy bouncing back the swing of Lana's wrench. The younger and older sisters recoiled in a startle. Lincoln however wasn't letting go and delivered a few quick knees to Lynn's side. He may not have been as tough as her, but his body had gotten used to how she delivered her roughhousing over the years. Lana likewise tried to back up but Lucy proceeded to throw out swipes with her own weapon. Lana managed to block them, but she could tell it wouldn't be the same fight as it had been with Lincoln. Given her closer age and her morbid nature, the taller girl held much less reservation towards inflicting illness on her. After a few of the swings Lana ducked but this only allowed Lucy to try to bring the shovel down on her which she blocked.

But then it came down again. And again. Over and over the object struck the wrench, each collision rattling the tool until finally Lana saw the effects of the repeated beating. Cracks had begun to form in her weapon! Eyes wide, Lana pulled back and swung it at Lucy's feet, but the darker girl was more than prepared. Swiftly she leaped into the air. Lana watched in fright as she plummeted back down at her with her spade extended. With no other option she pulled her wrench up to block once more, but it was the last chance she'd get. As the two objects met the younger girl's one shattered and she fell back in a daze. Lana shook her head once she noticed a darkness falling over her and looked to see the older girl approaching slowly, her spade still glistening from beneath her cloak. Sweat dripping down her face, Lana let out a scream and took off running into the crowd of chaos around them.

On the other end of the fight Lynn was not down and out, but she was having more trouble than she had had when she'd confronted the girl she'd been after. She gritted her teeth upon receiving another punch to the jaw. All she could see was red. Pure rage. Angrily she lashed out and struck the younger boy across the cheek, his arms doing little to block the attack. He could feel blood trickling down his lip but he didn't care. Lincoln may not have had as much spite as Lynn, but the excitement of the fight was blocking out the blows to some extent. Lynn though was furious. Again he'd interfered with Lucy and her. And he was actually fighting back! It was bad enough that he was apparently being transformed into some vampire minion of her sister, but on top of that he just kept going. He made it so that she couldn't push him aside. And then there was the time where Ace had taken down that one robber that she would have obviously put in jail on her-

Lynn winced. She had to focus. She couldn't let that stupid comic-book mentality effect her. It was hard, but she knew she could block it out. She threw her fist forward again, but Lincoln caught it and, after taking a step past the arm, slammed his own free fist into her nose. Lynn stumbled back grabbing at the bloodied injury. Furious to see the redness on her hands, she threw herself at Lincoln. He braced for the assault and, as he'd predicted, was not able to hold back most of the hits. His body and face sore, he tried to cradle his side once he'd fallen out of the physical whirlwind, but Lynn wouldn't let up. Grinning, she raised both fists above his battered form. And then a loud "clang" sounded.

Lynn spun around dizzily as blood flew in the trail that Lucy's spade slamming into her face had left. Lincoln stood up straighter as he felt the younger girl's hand on his back and he smiled at her. Smiling back, she got into a fighting stance with him while Lynn regained control of her legs and planted them ready to attack the two. But, fueled by retribution, Lucy and Lincoln now pressed into her. Each strike she made was countered doubly. When Lynn threw a punch it'd usually be blocked followed by a strike of their own against her, and when they'd dodge it their paired attacks saw through any defense she could give.

Lynn gritted her teeth, but now out of desperation rather than anger. She tried to kick Lincoln in the chest only for him to duck below it. As Lynn's leg came back to her, Lucy stepped onto the crouched boy and propelled off of his back into the air. Hesitantly Lynn brought her arms up to try to block the oncoming weapon the younger girl wielded, but that only served to give Lincoln the opportunity to thrust his fist into her stomach knocking the wind out of her and leaving her powerless as the object connected with her head. Though the body part was knocked forward, its back was what hit the ground after Lincoln caught her falling chin with his fist and flipped her back in the opposite direction with an uppercut.

All the athlete could see for a few moments were stars. Just bright flashes dotting her vision. Lynn hardly even noticed the smell of blood anymore in her daze. The first thing that she did comprehend was a card stuck in the ground next to her face. A card with an ace on it. Groggily she looked to the two heroes standing at her feet. Eyes drifting between the two younger Louds, Lynn realized she couldn't do anything more. She was beaten, and at their mercy. Trembling she curled up on the ground as hot tears slid down her cheeks. The startling reaction caused Lincoln and Lucy to give each other a look of worry and confusion as Lucy stuck out her arm to punch a criminal that'd tried to take advantage of the scene to attack her.

"Strong Suit, I don't know what happened in previous issues to bring your character arc to this, but it's not too late. Please, go help the others. We've got to get inside before their leader gets a chance to escape. You, of all of The Full House Gang, have the power necessary to help turn the tide against those she's sending out!" Lincoln pleaded. Lynn rubbed her eyes and stared at him. She couldn't believe it...they weren't...gonna finish her off?

"Oh yeah, don't mind us! JUST DYING OVER HERE!" Lola's voice screeched as she was launched through the air from an explosion. Knowing there likely wasn't much time left, Lincoln patted Lynn on the shoulder and bounded off towards the door of the hideout leaving the hooded girl staring down at her.

"Like Ace said...not sure what this is about but...whatever stupid thing you did that makes you think we're enemies, we wouldn't hurt you. We're allies-," Lucy said, ending the sentence a bit abruptly, "...fam-...family..." She shook her head quickly trying to quell the ache that'd bubbled through her cranium. She rubbed her skull as she followed Lincoln. "Help the others, they need ya..." was what Lynn heard her say as she sat up. It wasn't hard for Lucy to fight her way to the entrance of the base where she saw Lincoln conversing with Principal Huggins.

"But I've that's every code I can think of!" the boy whined, "This would be so much easier if I had One-Eyed Jack here! With our combined effort there's never a rewired security system too hard to crack!" Huggins rolled his eyes.

"That's the problem. You lot can't think like a villain," the older man grumbled as he looked at the electronic lock that held the door shut, "Fortunately you have an anti-hero with ya. I may not have worked with that old hag all that much, but she was loud enough that it didn't take much for a lot of us to guess how her setups worked. Knowing her the code's probably...fifty one..." The buttons on the lock beeped as he entered the code and a hiss of air sounded as the door unlocked and opened. Lincoln gawked at the smug expression their former nemesis wore.

"...probably could have figured it out sooner if Jack were here..." Lincoln muttered folding his arms over his chest.

"Don't you have a crime-wave to stop?" Huggins reminded. Lincoln puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. He was forced to relent though when the principal knocked out a crook that'd been charging at him with the butt of his gun. Realizing how long the two were dawdling on the trivial showing-up of the hero, Lucy just grabbed Lincoln's hand and pulled him into the hideout.

"Could you have drawn that out any longer Ace?" she murmured as they ran.

"Let me go back there and we can find out," he murmured back. Having had a good idea of what to expect, Lincoln and Lucy flipped and dodged their way through Lisa's oncoming machines and defenses. Tentacled robots lashed at them and lasers fired, but the duo of heroes found little effort in evading the assault. By the end of the main hall it had become a bit too noisy so Lincoln grabbed the latest defense-droid he'd flipped over and grabbed its head-cannon. In only a couple of seconds the corridor lay littered with sparking and offline machines, their smoking remains blanketing the air. His grin twisted into a look of shock as he came to a skidding halt behind Lucy in the main room beyond. Strung up in the air above were two girls.

"The Full House Gang!" the much younger girl exclaimed excitedly, "Is Card Counter with you?"

"About time you showed up!" the older girl she was tied to barked. Lincoln's expression flattened once he realized who was chastising him.

"Nice to see you too Girl Jordan," he sighed, "I take it you got in over your head again on your latest story?"

"Just get us down from here!" the reporter growled. Lincoln shook his head as Lucy smiled. Once she'd thrown her spade at the rope tying them to the ceiling Lincoln jumped and dashed towards the falling girls. He grunted as their impact forced his body to the ground.

"Guh..." he groaned under the weight. The younger girl helped the hero to his feet and gave him a hug while Girl Jordan just slapped him across the cheek.

"How dare you try to cop a feel when I'm so defenseless," she scoffed. Lincoln's eyelids lowered.

"You're welcome..."

"Darcy, what's going on?" Lucy asked. The young super-hero assistant clung to Lincoln's arm in fright at the sight of the hooded figure.

"Uh...well Card Counter headed out to try and...stabil-...stabil...-stabil-"

"Stabilize?" Lincoln guessed. Darcy nodded frantically.

"Stabilize the sitiation," she finished, "I was left here t-to take care of things while she was away b-but then a mean old lady came with all th-these bad guys and Girl Jordan showed up to try and get the scoop on what was going on and got caught-"

"My lens cap wasn't on! They saw the shine from it!" she told them trying to excuse the blunder. Lincoln just rolled his eyes.

"Where is the mean old lady now?" Lucy prodded.

"Sh-she took David to modify some of Card Holder's stuff for her. She should be-" Darcy's voice was cut off as a screen above them flickered on, the mean old woman she'd been talking about laughing maniacally.

"OLD MAID!" the heroes exclaimed.

"Well well, if it ain't the Full House Dorks!" Scoots chuckled, "come to shuffle my fun yet again huh?"

"You won't get away with this Old Maid! Justice always prevails!" Lincoln declared as Lucy sliced her spade in the air threateningly.

"Oh please. I already HAVE gotten away with it," the villain laughed. Cackling, she brought an object into view, "And with this the entire world will be mine to parade about in!" The group stared at the device. They were transfixed on it. On its own it was nothing special, but given the previous context most of them had had with it it resonated with something in the backs of their minds, especially the heroes. The projection-lens at the top, the slot at its base, and the comic book stuffed inside of it. Lincoln and Lucy's eyes widened. Lisa's invention! The boy's skin crawled with unease. Everything came back to him. The practice sessions the night before, the demonstration in class, and then...the accident...HIS accident. He had entirely forgotten about the thing, and judging by the look on Girl Jordan's face they all had. He wasn't Ace Savvy. His companion wasn't The Eight of Spades. They were-

"...Lincoln?..." Girl Jordan slowly realized as she turned him, looking just as flabbergasted. Though in shock, they still did possess the heroes that they took on. Their identities, their memories, their experience. Everything. But beneath that they still remained themselves. And Lincoln had a problem that he knew he had to try to fix. Fuck the crime-wave and fuck the whole artificial city he'd been protecting. It was all meaningless when compared to the severity of the sparking object they watched, especially when it'd fallen into the hands of some unhinged lunatic. Things needed to be set right.

"Old Maid! Give that back!" Lincoln yelled, "you have no idea-"

"I don't care if I ain't got no idea Ace!" the older woman laughed, "the modifications are almost ready and if you think you can get into the hangar-bay before I take off you got another thing comin'!"

"...you're in the hangar-bay?" Lucy asked. Scoots stared at them.

"Dang it! Cut the recording! Cut the recording!" she cried frantically before the feed went to static.

"Darcy, Girl Jordan, get out of here. The hallway to the outside's clear so ya shouldn't have any trouble," Lincoln ordered.

"I know the combination to vaporize the security drones," Darcy said happily as Girl Jordan grabbed the younger girl under her arm and darted out of the room. Lincoln and Lucy nodded to each before heading further into the base. They may not have known their way around the hideout, but Ace Savvy and The Eight of Spades certainly did, and as they ventured they could feel those personalities taking hold once more. It was...almost scary to Lucy. Almost. With the revelation given to them, she could feel her normal mind slipping away from her. Looking to Lincoln however, it didn't matter. With or without his name, he'd continue to try to do what was right. She smiled knowing that regardless of their identities she'd be in good company.

Her daydreaming was likely what led to her misplaced steps. Caught up in her thoughts, she hardly noticed the floor fall out from beneath her until it was too late. It hadn't taken long to make it to the hangar-bay doors, but that should have probably alerted them to some hidden means of security for it. Lincoln threw himself to the ground and grabbed the girl's hand before she fully fell into the depths of the trapdoor. Looking down, Lucy could see a swarm of crocodiles swimming about in a pool of water beneath her, their hungry eyes awaiting their meal.

"Okay, we have GOT to have a talk with Card Holder when we get home," he grunted as he tried to pull the girl up. Once he'd brought his head up out of the trapdoor however his eyes widened. Jutted out from the walls that they'd passed were gun-like formations. A soft explosion went off from one and struck the boy with a dart. It took a second, but soon he began to feel a limpness at the leg it had hit. "OH COME ON!" he cursed. Straining, he pulled at Lucy's arm while she tried to climb the wall with her feet, but slipped as another dart hit Lincoln loosening his grip. "Guh...Eight...I...there's tranquilizers or...some...something that...guh..." Lucy looked down at the crocodiles. One jumped up at her nipping the end of her cloak.

"...it's okay Ace-Lincoln..." she sighed, "you have a mission to complete. If she gets away with Lisa's machine there's no telling what'll happen."

"NO! I'm not leaving you!" Lincoln told her. Another dart sunk into his back. "GAH!"

"It's...fine Lincoln...this is a better death than I'd have imagined," she told him with a smile, "I'm alright with it."

"WELL I'M NOT!" he yelled. He should have been struggling to even stay in a stable position, but the adrenaline of the situation fought against the chemicals that were being injected into him. More darts came, but they did little to falter his steady tug on the younger girl. Lucy stared in awe at the feat until she realized how high she had gotten. He was actually pulling her out! The crocodiles jumped up furiously to snap at the escaping food, but it was no use. Using her feet, Lucy started another walk up the wall and, once she had gotten to the edge, gripped the corner of the material with the ball of her foot to prop herself out. She flailed her arms as she tilted backwards but regained her balance. She noticed the gun-like structures on the wall just in time to dodge one of the shots and tackled Lincoln to the ground beneath their line of fire. With one swish of her spade from beneath them, the devices were torn to ribbons.

Hearing how shakey the boy's breath was, Lucy helped him to his feet and, noticing the further weakness, ducked her head under his arm to support some of his weight with her body. She gave a look back at the hangar-bay door, but knew that she'd have no way of getting in without at least Ace's incapacitated deduction-skills for what locks the thing had. Not having many options, she chose to pull him back towards the main lobby of the hideout.

"Oi that there was some good action Eight," Lincoln woozily said, a blissful smile on his face. Whatever drugs the darts had been filled with had certainly overwhelmed his senses once his body had exerted its strength to pull her up, "Reminds me of the time we...we...ate the hotdogs at the cemetery..." Had the situation not been so dire, Lucy would have probably found the ramblings more amusing. "You ...you remember th-at?...Lori was s-so...mad that...haha...HAHA!" Lucy struggled to carry most of the boy's weight as he stumbled around.

"Lincoln...come...on!..." she grunted. They were almost at the lobby.

"And you...you...you know...you are my favorite sister..." Lincoln almost fell over from how immediately Lucy stopped.

"I-...I'm..."

"You just...lemme say mah stuff..." he drolled as he put a finger on her face and trailed it lightly across her blushing cheek, "you...antagonize me the least...I..." Her face heated up even more as he ducked his own next to her's and pressed it against her's. "I...I love you Lucy..." The girl's breathing came and in gulps through her nostrils.

"...uh...I uh...l-love you...too?..." she mumbled back. With how close Lincoln was there was no mistaking his identity for the hero he idolized. No, there was no way to mistake his touch or his scent. Not when it was...getting...closer? "Um...Lincoln you're...hey, can you-you-YAH-MMMFFF!" The drooling boy landed on the ground with a thud. After some shuffling, Lucy was able to poke her head out from beneath where she'd been crushed under him.

"Sigh..." she grumbled. It took some work, but Lucy managed to budge the body covering her's around enough that Lincoln's eventually rolled off to the side allowing her to begin pulling him again. As she entered the main lobby of the hideout though she noticed something. The lights above...they were...trembling. Any hopes that it might have been a trick of the eyes were dashed as vibrations began to course through her legs and chunks of the walls started to crack off.

"Oh...no..." she said quietly.

* * *

The tires of the Full House Gang's van screeched to a stop upon leaping over the hill to The Card Counter's hideout. What lay before them was a scene out of some satirized war scene. Characters of brightly-colored outfits fought and lay across the battlefield. To the newcomer's fortune none of their allies seemed to be amongst the fallen, but some certainly weren't fairing the best. While Huggins and Lola, in some unspoken partnership, tore through the groups that would head after them, Lana seemed to be flailing about the warzone aimlessly and Lynn was just walking around like a zombie punching the occasional attacker. Aside from the more girly twin and the old antihero, the only one that seemed to be making any real impact was Clyde who, though tattered, continued to knock down the remaining criminals left and right.

"Dayum brah, this is fierce..." Luna said pressing her face to her window.

"MY HIDEOUT!" Lisa cried. The van's doors popped open as latest arrivals charged into the fray. Lola gave a large sigh of relief once she saw the other heroes joining the fight, though that dropped her guard enough for a criminal to make a tackle at her. The attacker was met with a boot from Huggins who konked the young girl on the head with his gun to snap her back to reality. Spotting an oncoming horde following Lana who was running towards them, Lola took aim and threw her tiara knocking the chasers to the side. Darcy, who'd made it out a few minutes prior with Girl Jordan and had taken shelter behind her and Huggins, watched in wonder as the accessory flung back into her hands like a boomerang.

The amount of troops had been a bit much, but with the arrival of the other members of The Full House Gang they quickly began to drop. Luna grabbed a few by the collar and flew them up to throw at others with her jet-pack. Leni spun her way through the opposition with various scarves and dressings to tangle them up with. Lisa ducked and flipped around the predictable jabs and shots while taking out some with smacks from calculators. Luan just erupted the battlefield with all forms of jack-in-the-boxes, exploding balloon animals, and bomb-filled pies. And Lori, much like Lincoln, relied more on her fists and kicks to fight her way to the front of the hideout.

"About time you guys showed up!" Lola yelled mounting her tiara back on her head.

"You're welcome," Lori replied as she punched an oncoming baddie, "Where's Ace and Eight?"

"Five feet away..." a dull voice responded. The group looked to the entrance of the hideout to see a cloaked girl dragging a boy with white hair out, a large smile practically jiggling on his face each time his body bounced from the ground he was pulled across.

"What happened to him?" Girl Jordan asked.

"Bagels for everyone!" Lincoln suddenly shouted before devolving into a fit of giggles, "ha...haha...oh...hi Lori!" The oldest girl blinked as her mind cycled the name through her head.

"Oh-uh...hi?" she said slowly once she realized who he was talking to, "Are you...okay?"

"I got a mask on my face!" Lincoln laughed. The group at the entrance looked to Lucy.

"Sigh. I fell into a trap and he pulled me out, but he got all sorts of darts stuck in him before I got all the way out."

"Dear god, he still managed to pull you up?" Lisa asked having caught ear of the explanation as she arrived at the entrance. Blushing under the shadow of her hood, Lucy nodded.

"What about David?" Darcy asked.

"David? W-wait, what happened?! Is he okay? Where's that old hag?" Lisa spat as she listed off her questions.

"How'd you know about her?" Lucy asked, "Wait, where did you all even come from-"

"I was putting it together as I tried to keep things calm outside. Small tiremarks in the dirt and pieces of her shirt in the bushes. The others came to help out and we got info from some of the Hall Monitors Willy had around the city and is David okay?" the small girl persisted with the questions answered.

"He's probably fine. All she needed him for was to modify her stuff with some of your stuff. Which, by the way, we should be getting ready to-" Lucy's voice became lost as the shaking of the hideout finally made its way to the grounds outside of its walls. "Damnit," she said inaudibly as she fell over on Lincoln.

"Daw, hugs for Wucy!" he giggled pressing his cheek up against her's in a tight embrace. Lucy felt shameful for not trying to break out of it. The others however felt themselves lost in fright and anticipation for the culmination of the quakes, though Lisa likely felt the most unease given her calculations about the situation. The few conscious criminals that remained on the premise had begun to evacuate once the rumblings had begun leaving the heroes to mostly congregate near the entrance of the hideout.

"Dudes, this is like...majorly intense," Luna's voice vibrated.

"And really shakey!" Leni added.

"You could say this quakes the nerves," Luan laughed. Hardly any of them could hear each other, but on instinct a few of them glared at the comedian.

"Ace?" Clyde said kneeling down to check Lincoln over. He was surprised to find that even after he'd gotten his arms off of Lucy the girl had had her arms around him as well, though only for a moment before they retracted.

"H-hey...C-...Clyde..." Lincoln slurred, "ohhh...my head is...wow...hey, are we...in a washing machine?..." The white-haired boy seemed to be regaining some of his senses, but he still floated across the loopiness of the drugs' effects. Clyde would have prodded Lucy for some insight, but at that moment all eyes turned to the upper walls of the hideout which exploded. Debris and glass rained down as a high-tech hover-bike emerged, Scoots cackling gleefully aboard it as she made her getaway. In the moments that she turned to set her course Lisa could see a rather horrific sight. In her clutches was her invention, sparking and shaking.

"The Old Maid!" some of the heroes exclaimed.

"Scoots!" the rest shouted at the same time. The heroes blinked and looked at each other before shrugging off the oddness to focus on the escaping villain.

"Full House Gang! Get in the van!" Lori yelled.

* * *

"Alright, that's it, I'm going in!" Lynn Loud Sr. declared taking a step towards the ever-expanding warped grounds of Royal Woods Elementary. Ever since the rest of their children had launched themselves into it the police cordoning off the territory had increased their efforts to make sure no one else would be unfortunate enough to step within the strange perimeter.

"Me too!" his wife stated. Nodding to each other, the parents threw themselves screaming at the officers directly in front of them. One push from them was all it took to knock the two to the ground. "Well...we gave it our best shot," Rita said. Lynn just glared at the ring of police. Clyde's fathers hurried to their side to help them back up. Before the husband and wife could mount another attempt however the ring of police began to break up. In fact, the entire congregation around the school began to stumble about from the rumbling until finally the side of one of the skyscraper-structures the school had become began to light up. With a deafening tone the wall of it shattered allowing a rather complex-looking hovervehicle to billow out of the smoke and rocket across the skies of Royal Woods. Most watched in disbelief and confusion at the sudden emergence, but those that had been underneath the object began to garner their own attention as their clothes and attitudes morphed to conform to the scenery that they had been watching throughout the day. Beneath whatever path the vehicle took the people, objects, and land warped into more dynamic versions of what they had been.

Looking to the ground, Lynn Sr. noticed Rita, who had fallen partly in the path, starting to suffer the effects of the change as well. Hastily he and the McBrides pulled her back to safer ground returning her legs to normal. They barely had time to comprehend just what was going on before another vehicle shot out of the hole that had been made in the skyscraper-structure. The van's bumper rattled as it hit the ground, but it hardly slowed in its chase of the other transport. Those outside of the walls of Royal Woods Elementary may have had to take time to get used to the changes being rained onto them, but the Full House Gang was more than accustomed to the stylings of the warped world. Utilizing High Card's experiences alongside some of her own wrecklessness, Lori steered the van clear of any of the transforming people and obstacles in their path. Scoot's hoverbike may have been fast, but Lori had more than enough practice driving those roads. Fortunately the villain had been flying low enough that most of the buildings had forced her to adhere to the turns of the streets below allowing her pursuers to keep on course with their target for the most part.

"Come on! Can't this jalopee go any faster?" Lisa hollered, "We HAVE to stop that moron! With how critically unstable the device she's carrying is becoming and with it now being driven throughout the town it'll only be a matter of time before all of Royal Woods is a god damn comic-book!"

"Hey...Royal Woods, that's the name of...our...town?..." Luan remembered slowly, blinking as she thought.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK I'M DOING? Coasting?!" Lori yelled back. A jerk of the steering wheel emphasized her point as she skidded around a corner and threw all the passengers against the wall of the speeding vehicle. Overhead a few helicopters had begun to zero in on the chase, actions that apparently did not go unnoticed by the supervillain at the front.

"This is Katherine Mulligan coming to you live from the bizarre continuation of the ongoing Royal Woods Elementary conflict," the yellow-suited newsreporter sounded through the crime-radio on the inside of the van, "Though if you look out your windows you just might see the issue yourself now! It seems that some crazed future-vehicle has launched itself out of the former elementary school and is tearing through the skies of Royal Woods! The police in the choppers next to us have their guns ready but so does...wait...wait SHE HAS GUNS TOO? What type of hover-rocket-thing is that? Why's it have weapons and-OH GOD-!" The heroes barely had time to think about what had caused the sudden static on the radio before their answers came in the form of the burning wreckage of the helicopters plummeting down and shattering around their pursuit. "Th-this has been...Katherine Mulligan...coming to terms with...gravity..." her voice woozed through the crackles of the radio.

Within the van the back end of the vehicle tended to its own injury. Lincoln had mostly filtered out of the more drastic tangents that the drugs in his system had provoked, but some still remained.

"Lucy, why your hair always so dark?..." he sang with a few chuckles, "You...bah, it's alright. I forgive ya."

"Forgive me for what?" she murmured. Despite the potential degrading remark, she bent over him with her fingers stroking his hair, his head held in her lap.

"Dang buddy you...don't worry, it's gonna be alright!" Clyde assured him.

"Okay, this old hag needs to come down," Luna growled. Popping a window open she jumped out and shot into the sky with her jet-pack. As she soared up to the elderly criminal's height she could see her cackling as maniacally as ever at her terrorizing. "Hey Granny Dude, pull over!" Luna yelled. Pulling out her stylized guitar she slammed her hand through the chords eliciting a large wave of vibrations. Scoots grunted as the pulse slammed into her ride and sent it careening towards a nearby building.

"Aw yeah, now this is the prime location to start swindling people outta their hard-earned cash," a familiar convenience-store owner said as he rubbed his hands together on the sidewalk below. Excitedly, Flip pulled out a few posts and set a board down on top of them as a table. Almost instantly his recently devised "Elementary School Hostages" products littered the makeshift stand, ready for any passersby. "Flip my man, you are a genius," he gloated. A shadow made him turn his eyes upwards. "WHAT THE-?!" The wall of the building behind him exploded as Scoot's hover-scooter slammed into it. As rubble dotted the ground around him, Flip's regular red shirt was replaced by a more classy, though still somehow shady, business-suit and his head became adorned by a fedora.

"...Get yer "Citizens-in-Danger" merchandise! "Citizens-in-Danger" merchandise right here folks!" he advertised to the business-people in the exposed wall next-door as he took his newfound cigar out of his mouth. Scoots meanwhile fought to regain control of her spiraling ride hitting a few other buildings along the way, their styles morphing with each strike. It was only after she took off part of the roof of one that she shot up past that she could fully maintain her direction. Glaring, she pressed a series of buttons which produced a few rockets that took aim and shot at her attacker.

"...oh shit," Luna murmured. Frantically she took off through the maze of buildings around them. The first rocket struck an antennae on the top of a roof she passed over and another shattered a couple of windows on an apartment complex that she swerved by. The final one however connected with her jet-pack and blasted the device to pieces leaving her to plummet to the ground below. Screaming, she put her hands out in front of her in, what she knew to be, a futile attempt to soften the collision with the ground. By some miracle however, Luan had managed to toss a jack-in-the-box into her path which popped open to reveal an enormous bouncy-castle. The rock-hero was thrown across its flexible surface a couple of times before landing face-first on the ground next to it a bit more safely. "Guh...b-ummer...d-dude..." Luna moaned as she passed out.

"This is insane! How are we supposed to stop her?" Lana panicked. Lily pressed against one of the windows to try and reach through it to get one of the dresses a woman on the sidewalk had been decorated in from the chase.

"Normally the main hero steps up to save the day," Lynn mumbled, hardly even paying attention to the dilemma as she watched with disinterest at the transforming buildings passing by outside.

"But Ace is out of commission!" Lola exclaimed. Lynn glanced over at the boy cradled in Lucy's lap.

"Wasn't his name Lori?" she mumbled.

"Who's Lori?" Lori asked from the driver's seat.

"Who cares?" Lynn sighed, "Who cares who we are or were or whatever?"

"Will you heroes focus?" Huggins hollered from the front, "That psycho's gaining speed!" Lori tried to pour on the gas more than she was already doing so, but it meant nothing. The pedal was to its limit. Slowly Lincoln's head rocked about allowing him a glimpse of the window at the front.

"L-Lynn's right..." he said. With as much energy as he could muster he rolled out of Lucy's grasp and tried to rock to his feet, but that just landed him right back down next to the hooded girl's leg.

"Buddy, stay down!" Clyde told him. Lincoln shook his head groggily. He could see the airborne vessel out of the front. It was getting away, but it wasn't out of reach just yet.

"I can't...I...gotta finish this comic..." he argued, "If we can just use The Eleven of Hearts' sash, we just might be able to get enough of a slingshot-"

"-to shoot one of us onto her scooter!" Clyde finished. Lucy and Clyde looked at each other in realization. "...Eight...keep him safe..."

"W-wait, what?..." Lincoln mumbled as Clyde got to his feet, "W-where are you going? I'm the hero! This isn't supposed to be a sacrificing-the-sidekick issue!" Clyde smirked.

"Give me some credit Ace," he replied. Clyde's head tilted towards the floor of the van with some reservation. "...I...I really don't know...if I would've done this earlier...I mean...look at us! We're literal heroes! We get to actually BEAT PEOPLE UP! We can actually fight back like this! No more bullies, no more teasing. I can actually be cool! Just saving people and living the glory life...but that's not how things should be...right? I may not remember everything about how things were...I know this would definitely be the cooler option...but it isn't the right one, and we fight for justice. And you, Ace, are in no condition to do that fighting right now. So let me have this one." Lincoln forced his awareness to focus just enough to understand what his pal was saying and reluctantly nodded.

"...don't die man," he said.

"Don't intend to," Clyde smiled, "Eleven of Hearts!"

"Yes mam!" Leni saluted as she got up and slammed her head into the roof of the van.

"We gotta get up on top of this thing!"

"Okay!" Leni said. Before anyone could stop her she'd opened a door and stepped out of it. Hastily, Huggins, Lola, Lana, and Luan dashed to the window behind it and threw their arms out of it. "Oh right...it's moving," she smiled looking back up at them as she dangled above the moving ground by the grips on the shoulders of her outfit. In annoyance they hoisted her up onto the roof where Clyde joined her. "Alright Ace, we're up here! What now?" she asked. Clyde gave her an odd look.

"...I'm One-Eyed Jack," he told her.

"Oh right," Leni laughed, "sorry, you two just hang out so often it's hard to tell you apart." Clyde rolled his eyes.

"Okay, Eleven of Hearts, LISTEN," he ordered, "I need YOU to take your SASH, wrap it around ME, and fling me onto The Old Maid's scooter up THERE." Leni looked between Clyde and the object in the air that'd been getting smaller as he pointed to the various things he'd emphasized in his sentence.

"...OKAY!" she replied cheerily. Clyde had no time to prepare before the older girl wrapped the sash around him and began twirling in place. The swirling buildings turned to a blur the faster they went, Leni's face perpetually smiling at him. With one last swift spin, Leni let go of one end of the cloth unleashing the speeding boy and shooting him off into the sky. Leni watched as he traveled further and further towards the air-vessel before something clicked in her head. "Oh gosh, I hope I didn't just kill him."

Luckily for Clyde, she hadn't. It may have stung a bit, and gotten him a bit too close to being burnt by the rockets for his comfort, but he did manage to hit the vehicle. He scrambled to get a grip on the surface of it as he slid backwards. From where he latched on he could feel the air streaking past him and burning his exposed face. But that didn't matter. The maniac at the wheel was what did. Grunting, he pulled himself hand-by-hand towards the cockpit.

"And with your help there'll be nowhere on Earth that'll deny me. Oh let's see Shrew stop me now!" he heard her cackle. But her glee was at an end. To her surprise, the young boy's arms wrapped around her throat from behind and she slammed into the steering wheel plummeting the vehicle towards the ground below.

"Well well, if it ain't the sidekick," she groaned as she tried to elbow Clyde in the face, "Sorry to say, but mama don't like hitchhikers!"

"And I don't like the world being completely distorted!" Clyde yelled back, "Now where's that machine?!"

"Oh like hell I'm giving this baby up!" Scoots spat as she directed his attention towards the object she'd been talking to in her hands, "it may not have looked like much when those stupid criminals brought it in, but boy did it make getting my ride up and running a breee-ee-EEE-YAAHHHHH!" Clyde's scream joined her's as the vehicle hit the ground. Its rockets and wings crumbled to debris as they skidded across the street. Hoping to ease the commotion, Clyde slammed Scoot's head into the side of the vehicle to knock her out and climbed over her to grab at Lisa's machine. Then he jumped back. With a surge of electricity, the device itself warped. Its side opened up to reveal a set of jaws lined with razor sharp teeth that bit at him. He screamed at the sight of an eyeball that the lens at the top transformed into.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" he cried. Doing his best to fight off the sentient warping machine, he pulled at the steering wheel, but it was useless. The maneuverability of the craft had all but been destroyed in its landing. Clyde clenched his teeth as he spotted a car parked on the side of the street that they were headed towards. He grabbed Scoot's body just in time to be flung from the collision and rolled across the street with her. Smoke billowed from the ruined aircraft, but one component still remained functional. Lisa's device. The Ace Savvy comic flailed about in its side as it jumped around trying to move. His breathing heavy, Clyde grabbed a broken off pipe from the car they had smashed into and drug himself over to the abomination. It hissed and snapped at him but the sounds soon turned to squeals as he put one foot on the eye to keep it in place as he lifted the pipe above his head.

"...goodbye One-Eyed Jack," he sighed. Not allowing himself to dwell on the fantasized heroics, Clyde thrust the pipe down into the mechanism expelling one last squeal from it. The air stood still. Time seemed to stop completely. Out of the corners of his vision Clyde could have sworn birds stopped moving in the sky. The van that had been approaching no longer was. And then it rushed at him. An enormous ungodly force trembled from the crack that he had made shaking the pipe in his hands so violently that he would have probably thrown up had it not forced his grip off of it. In a blinding flash a wave exploded from the site of the impact smashing him backwards into the wall of a building they had landed next to. He couldn't see it, but he could feel it. The bodies. The various different versions of himself. He as One-Eyed Jack, as a samurai, as a girl, as a different race, as an alien, as an uncountable amount of other variations all flung backwards into his body from the inner workings of the device's catastrophic destruction. And then there was nothing.

Clyde didn't even realize that sound was beginning to return as his groggy eyes looked over the landscape. Smoke still billowed from the craters that had been made from the air vessel he'd brought down colliding with the street, but all that remained of the vessel itself was a battered electric scooter. He noticed the Louds' van as its tires hit the ground from the recovery of the explosion that had recoiled it into the air, its heroic emblem at the front gone. His body fell loosely to the ground as the van wheeled to a stop and let out the collection of former heroes inside. Their excited cheers and applause surrounded him but he could feel his consciousness drifting, his strength spent. As his face met with Lori's bosom from a congratulatory hug he passed out happily.

* * *

"In other news, town hero Clyde McBride is recovering at the safety of his fathers' home after the harrowing events of this afternoon that were sparked by the claimed machinations of town mischief-maker Scoots who had acquired some strange science experiment from the Royal Woods Elementary Science Fair!"

"And I would've gotten away with it too if it weren't for those meddling kids!" the older woman yelled as she was shoved into the back of a police-car.

"This has been Katherine Mulligan, nearly dying!" the reporter concluded as the screen flipped back to the Newsroom of her station. The children of The Loud House grinned at each other.

"Told ya Scoot's would keep the blame off of any of us," Lisa said.

"I'm just glad Clyde's alright," Lincoln sighed.

"And I'm glad you're alright," Lucy said konking her head against his. Blushing, he rubbed the back of his.

"I just hope I didn't say anything too...stupid..." he chuckled.

"Only that you miss Ronnie Anne and want her to have your babies," Lola said. Lincoln's blush deepened, though his face showed much less amusement than before as his siblings laughed.

"Well it certainly sounds like we missed out on quite the adventure," Rita commented from the kitchen.

"Oh I dunno honey, keeping Howard and Harold from fainting was enough of an adventure itself I'd say," her husband added.

"At least they didn't get their nosebleeds all over your shirts..." Lori scoffed.

"Hey, that is all on you sis," Luna laughed.

"Yeah, you sure didn't mind giving him a helping breast," Luan joked. Lincoln was happy to be able to join in on the laughs of someone else's humiliation.

"Ugh, whatever. I'm like literally done with this," Lori huffed.

"Hey, don't have a blood rush," Luan continued after her stomps up the steps, "Your boobs can't take another!" The living room erupted in laughter again to the ire of the individual upstairs. One by one though, the Louds began to depart with the news-story ended. Lynn looked at Lucy as she left with the drearier girl looking back. Lynn didn't know how much Lucy remembered of the events. Hell, she didn't know even how much she herself remembered. The general adventure was still lodged in their heads, but in chunks. The blur between the heroes and their true selves was jumbled to say the least. They both knew that the meanings behind what they remembered though were true, and Lynn knew that, even with Lucy as some dark mastermind, she could sleep easy next to family. It may not have been the end to the conflict, but it would help her get some shuteye.

Before long it was just down to Leni, Lincoln, Lucy, and Lisa. Luan and Luna had been jabbering about all the tricks and techniques they'd pulled off during their stint in the heroics, though Lola had been the twin to spend the majority of the time joining in those discussions. Lana had given some boasts, but every so often she would look to Lincoln and Lucy who sat at the far end of the couch, sometimes whispering to each other. With only Leni and Lisa left aside from them once the others had made their way to their rooms though, their words were allowed to be louder.

"And like, I totally thought I killed Lincoln," Leni laughed. The others looked at her with nervous smiles.

"Um...that was Clyde Leni..." Lucy reminded. Leni blinked.

"Oh right. Sorry, they just look so similar," she laughed. The other three gave each other odd looks, "Well, I should be off to bed. You know what they say, a hero's work is only as good as their beauty sleep!"

"...I don't think that's a saying from...any comic...ever..." Lincoln said.

"Oh Ace, this lack of understanding of what makes good-looks is why you don't get to design my costume," she told him as she got up and headed for the stairs, "Goodnight Eight and Card Counter!"

"...think she's alright?..." Lucy asked. A loud "whap" from Leni running into a wall upstairs sounded as if to answer the question.

"...I doubt any effects it might've had on her are anything to worry about," Lisa shrugged.

"Well, I should get headed off to bed too. Don't stay up too late guys. We do still have school tomorrow," Lincoln reminded.

"Assuming the school's in working order," Lucy grinned.

"Oh it is, don't worry. The device's destruction should've reverted any alterations that were made to the structure of the building. On top of which I sent out my new Assistant-Bot 5200 on a test-run to help the janitors clean up whatever messes might've been made on the offchance that my calculations are incorrect," Lisa assured them. Lincoln and Lucy glared at her. "...what?"

"You just know how to ruin everything don't you?" Lucy asked as Lincoln trecked up the stairs.

"Excuse me, I'm not the one that caused the near-destruction of Royal Woods," Lisa defended.

"Speaking of which, what happened to that device?" Lucy asked.

"Oh this thing?" Lisa asked pulling out the sparking remains of the ruined machinery, "The darn thing can't even get up to three anymore. I'm gonna have to start over from complete scratch...or just scrap the whole thing considering what happened today..."

"...so...you don't need it then?..." Lucy said quietly. Lisa shrugged.

"I guess not...wait, why?"

Hesitantly Lucy poked her pointer fingers together.

"Um...I uh...wanted to know if I might...be able to...borrow it..." she murmured. Lisa's brows perked.

"Borrow it? THIS? After what happened? Why would you..." Lisa's voice trailed off and she scratched her chin. The truth was she didn't need it, certainly not in the state it'd been left in, but she was no doubt curious as to her older sister's intent. Looking at the sympathetic figure though, she couldn't do much other than give in. And it's not like there'd be much danger anyhow given its limitations after the mayhem was over. "...well alright. But just...keep it down," she sighed handing it over to the girl, "like Leni said, some of us need sleep oh mistress of the night." With a smile, Lucy nodded and Lisa headed up the stairs. Taking a few looks around the living room, Lucy bounded silently up the stairs as she heard the youngest Louds' door click shut. Eagerly she tugged the attic-staircase down from the ceiling and climbed up onto it, though she paused to look behind her. Lincoln's door was agape ever so slightly. She didn't know why she stopped, but it wasn't for long. In seconds she was up in the depths of the attic.

Lighting a lantern, Lucy walked towards the end of the attic where she usually set up her rituals. It provided just enough light for her to set the device down in a view-able state at the center of her clearing and she turned to a large trunk. Normally she would consult its contents for the belongings of her most fondly looked-up-to ancestor, Great Grandma Harriet, but on this occasion she looked for something in particular. It had nothing to do with her operations that night, but the wonders of what lay in the room that the device had come from had reminded her of a question that had burned her mind since the day before. With a tug she pulled out her enormous spellbook. It was in the exact same position as she had left it in inside the trunk on her previous ritual. So how then had Lisa had it in her room? It looked like it hadn't been disturbed in the slightest.

A yawn quelled the complications of her thoughts. She'd have time later to sort out the oddities that seemed to pile up from the younger sibling's room. For the present, she decided instead to get back to the matter at hand before sleep overtook her adventure-ridden body. Shutting the trunk, she turned back to the device and knelt down next to it. Lucy bit her lip as she looked at the picture that she pulled out from the collar of her shirt. She didn't know what she was expecting to have happen, especially from such a ruined piece of equipment, but...something ached in her, something that prodded her curiosity as to what might happen with her use of the picture on it. Her mind may have continued to debate the actions, but her body slid the piece of paper she'd drawn herself and Lincoln onto earlier that day into the slot of the machine and she set the device to the number 1.

The device sparked and sputtered for a few seconds before static projected from the lens at the top. Lucy was about to just shut the thing off and head back to her room, but as she stared at it she noticed the static clearing. It was giving way to an image. The image of she and her brother as she'd drawn them. Only...it wasn't as she'd drawn them. They were...moving. The Lucy in the image looked at Lincoln shyly and looked away when he took notice of the observation. When he looked to his other side she looked back, and, with a grin, he spun his head too quickly for her to look away again before he'd caught sight of her peeking. Blushing, the Lucy tugged at her dress and looked at him again. They were still for a moment and then the digital Lucy stepped up next to him and nuzzled her head into his throat. Lincoln nuzzled back with his cheek.

The glow of the malfunctioning device helped to illuminate the attic as Lucy watched the warm scene, her legs pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them.

-end of chapter-

Oh...my...god... I mean...I knew this was gonna be long but...holy...

...well at least this chapter's finally done. Yes, I had been planning for a whole Ace Savvy "episode" to this fic, but never would I have thought it'd take up as much space as it ended up doing. It just kept going and going and going. And now I can go to bed.


	12. Candle-Charmed Trances

Chapter 12: Candle-Charmed Trances

Lincoln rolled around in his bed, his fidgeting form churning the blankets atop his body. He didn't need to see the beams of light crawling in through the cracks of his blinds or hear the crow of what was probably Liam's rooster in the distance to know that the pre-school preparations would soon be underway, but his body craved the pocket of warmth that it had been slumbering in. It provided a comfort for his restless actions. In truth he had found it more difficult than normal to sleep. In the aftermath of the previous day's trials he doubted that he was the only one finding it hard to drift into their subconscious, but for him, once his ears had picked up on the bleeps and bloops of some contraption in one of the rooms next door it'd proven nigh-impossible to urge his mind towards returning to its dormant state.

The noise had been nothing out of the ordinary. Had it been any other night he probably wouldn't have had much trouble getting back to his shut-eye. But his thoughts refused to yield. Who could blame him though? That day had been a roller-coaster like no other. He knew he'd be hearing about it from the kids that bothered to return to school on the day approaching, but for him the experience had been more personal than with most of the rest of his class.

"Guh..." he grumbled as he stared up at the ceiling. Trailing his eyes across the cracks at the top of his room he could just faintly string the lines of its ceiling into shapes. At first he thought he saw a car, but soon it ran together with a few other lines to form the shape of a scooter. Glaring, he scanned to the right of it where some more textures grouped with each other in his vision to give way to a mask and superhero outfit. Making some noises in his throat he shifted his view to the part of the ceiling that was a bit to the left of where he lay. After a few second he jumped and shook his head. It was ridiculous. They were just lines that his mind linked together in his irritation, but the image that his mind had made to stare back at him had been a girl. He rolled onto his side in a mixture of annoyance and weariness to disconnect from the stare that the faint Lucy's rigidy shape had given back to him.

"So you're probably thinking, do you feel regrets about taking Lisa's contraption to school in the last chapter?" Lincoln discussed to the direction that he was now staring at, "well...not much no. After all, it's not everyday ya get to be a superhero. No...what's been on my mind is more...what might have happened during all of that." His eyes drifted downwards as their lids drooped. "The whole thing...it's a blur. I mean yeah, I was Ace and the others were The Full House Gang, we went on a mission to stop Scoots, but...I...it's just kind of hard to visualize just what all the details were. It's there on the surface but...the harder I try to think about it the more vague it gets. And then once we got to Scoot's place that's when it just...cuts out. Like...I know there was something that happened...and I feel...odd when I think about it, but I just...can't remember it..."

Lightly Lincoln touched the side of his body. He didn't know why, but he thought he felt pricks along it, like things had been sticking into it. He twisted his mouth as he put the side of his head back into his pillow. Another faint reminisce about what couldn't be remembered. Lincoln stewed there in his frustration until another sound caught his ear. The toilet had flushed. After thinking on the noise for a moment he looked at his clock.

"Sigh..." he said realizing what time it was. Clicking his heels together as they swung out into the air, he put them to the ground beside his bed and got up to stretch. It was probably for the best anyhow. Not like he'd made any progress in getting back to whatever world his dreams would have taken him to. Cautiously he stuck his head out of his door to look for any obstacles that may have been lying around. If there was one thing he could thank his overworked mind for it was the foresight to prepare. On a well-rested day a normal resident would likely just wander out into the potential warzone that was the siblings' hallway. For all that Lincoln saw however, he may as well have waltzed out into the open. The only tripups he could locate had been a misplaced rollerskate near Lynn and Lucy's room and a rubber chicken lying further down the hallway. And the bathroom door was gaping wide open!

Knowing better than to waste time, Lincoln made his charge, and as he did so he saw a couple of doors open up revealing an eye-rubbing Lola making her way into the hall and a purple gowned leg stepping out just further ahead. Clenching his teeth, Lincoln bent to hop past the oncoming body, but instead felt himself pulled back towards its side by his arm.

"Oh no ya don't mate! I'm closer AND older," Luna smirked, "Besides, you're usually last love."

"Not this time!" Lincoln growled fighting to take his limb back. Luna was surprised by the effort he gave. He actually managed make her take a few steps forward in his strain, but her constricting digits remained wrapped around his wrist.

"Oi, you are putting up a fight today," she chuckled pulling back with her own strength. Lincoln's cheeks lifted towards his eyes as he shifted his view back and forth between the rockstar and his awaiting chamber. If he didn't do something there was no telling when he'd get his chance in it. As his eye flicked back to it again though he spotted something else. The rubber chicken. It was still on the ground next to Luna's feet. Her face bounced into a startle as Lincoln allowed himself to be pulled towards her and bounced again as it was slapped by the plastic object causing her to let go of her prey. Luna rubbed her cheek a few times before she realized her failure and looked to see Lincoln smiling from the doorway of the bathroom.

"Not cool mate," she grunted. She was a bit puzzled by Lincoln's face though. His teeth showed, but his brows bent in what looked to be sympathy.

"I'd be more concerned about who else is on their way. I don't think we were the only ones ready to use the bathroom," Lincoln warned hesitantly. Luna didn't quite understand what he meant until he'd halfway closed the door. Sensing the oncoming footsteps, she turned and jumped at the sight of the running sister.

"BLOODY HELL!" she cried as Lola rocketed into her. The door was locked by the time their bodies hit it.

* * *

Lori hummed to herself as she flipped through the channels on the TV. If there was a benefit to having been the oldest of the siblings it was that she was the most versed in how the operations of the household went. Having been around the longest out of all of them she was unrivaled in her experience and, when she desired to give the effort, it wasn't that hard to put herself as the first for whatever benefits that entailed, such as her claiming of the bathroom that day. She knew she'd seen at least one door cracking open as she headed downstairs, but that had no longer been her worry by that point. A limp smile adorned her face as she stumbled onto the tail end of the previous week's episode of Dream Boat. Sure the entire family had watched it, but that didn't stop her from raveling in the sensations of the men that littered the vehicle that the show took place on.

"She is so totally getting with Juan," Lori sighed clasping her hands together as the picture zoomed in on the Latino male. Her ears barely registered the opening and closing of the doors upstairs and the clamor that followed. Even as the credits began to roll she eyed the selection of guys that the girl on the show had at her disposal. That Juan though was who she remained enamored with. She couldn't help it that she enjoyed the visuals. It made her think so much of her own lust. Her smile widened as her mind wandered across the countless miles it'd take to get to the city. One day though, be it there or in Royal Woods, they would enjoy each other's company once more. Lori's feet acted on their own since they knew her brain wouldn't give them their commands with the distractions it intoxicated itself with.

Lori's instincts fortunately were well aware of the situation. It was a weekday morning, and that meant getting ready for school. Namely, making something to eat, or in her case, taking leftovers of something that her dad had made. It may have been a day or so old, but she still craved the stuffed pepper that she pulled from her "zone" of the refrigerator. Having Bobby on her mind probably goaded the choice of food a bit. His family certainly did know their way around the classics when it came to Mexican cuisine, though she was thankful that she had the parents that she did with what all that the children were able to enjoy of their talents. The selection however hadn't been the only thing that her senses had alerted her of. She may not have heard it on the surface, but the near-silent thumps of the approaching person as they came down the stairs still pulsed through the surface of her brain. That's why she wasn't all that surprised when she spotted a pair of feet peaking out from beneath the surface of the door as she began to close it.

"Hey Lincoln," she said as she moved over to the counter to wrap the food.

"Really?" he gawked, "I-...how did you know..."

"Hm?" Lori mumbled, still partly lost in her thoughts.

"I was like...I'm NEVER that quiet! How did you know I was there?" he criticized. Lori blinked and smirked.

"What, you think you're some kind of ghost or something?" she laughed, "I've been here longer than any of you. You know you gotta get up pretty early to get me like that."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I had that part covered," Lincoln grumbled. Lori just shrugged while Lincoln rummaged around in the fridge himself. When he'd emerged with a bundle of eggs practically pouring out of his arms and let them roll onto the counter next to the stove Lori's stomach forced her back down to reality.

"Remember, Hard-"

"-Boiled. Yeah, I know," Lincoln sighed as he got the pan ready. Lori was somewhat confounded by the attitude. It was expected to have a bit of a dismissive response to the reminder, especially when it was to one of the younger siblings, but his annoyance seemed a bit more genuine than just as a discharge towards the request. Had he really been that put down by her knowing he'd been sneaking up on her? Why? It's not like he was the type to scare somebody. So why the sudden change? Lori thought for a few more seconds before a grin spread across her face.

"So who's the lucky girl?" she cooed as she propped her face up on an arm on the counter next to him. Immediately Lincoln's face reddened causing the egg he was tapping on the side of the pan to shatter. On another day that might have earned him a scolding or teasing, but with how flustered the question had made him it was easy to ignore. The corners of Lori's mouth lifted towards her eyes watching Lincoln's face twitch as the bits of egg-shell slithered into the cooking goop that had oozed out of its container. He hoped in vain that Lori wouldn't notice the slow breath he inhaled to reset his senses before turning to face her.

"Hm?" he hummed.

"Oh you know what I'm talking about," she smirked as she poked his cheek, each touch flaring the redness back to his face, "A guy doesn't just start acting all weird for no reason."

"There's no "girl"," he huffed. Closing his eyes, he grabbed a spatula and began to scrape the mess out of the pan.

"Right," Lori said, "Well when you need someone to talk to, you know who to call..." Lincoln shook his head as he got another egg ready. Doing his best to take his mind off of the catastrophe that had been his attempt at stealth, he started tapping the white oval against the metal. "But FYI, the easiest way to do it is to just tell her," Lori told him as she walked back into the living room. Her grin made her eyes squint as she heard the second egg crunch.

* * *

Luan twirled around once or twice before falling into the ever-adored "throne" that she used to intimidate people with on April first. Whether it was for that purpose or not, it was always handy to have whenever she needed a sit. With bemused calculations she looked over a list that she procured from beneath the cushion of the seat. She couldn't stop the brimming cup of ideas that flew around her head as she looked at the names and locations of that week's birthday parties, each event another chance to refine her ever-advancing skills in the hysteric arts. To the onlooker it may have looked like buffoonery, but such prowess required skillful precision. Each fake birthday candle its own placement, each can of snakes their own furnishing. All of it had to be perfect or the whole act might fall through.

"What do ya think Mr. Coconuts? Should we do the flopping-into-a-pie for Jeremy's finish?" she asked as she pulled her assistant to her side.

"I dunno toots, we just did that two weeks ago a few neighborhoods away from there," the dummy reasoned, "Some of the kids from that one may be seeing it again if they're there."

"Hm...you know, we could SLIP it up a bit with a banana-peel," the comedian suggested.

"Or ya could "tune-it-down" a bit," another voice murmured causing Luan to jump and turn to face the door. She hadn't even noticed that her roommate had returned.

"Hey, with that material maybe I should start submitting an application for a new partner..." Luan's dummy seemed to comment on its own earning him a glare from her which he shrugged at. Ignoring the audience, Luna tucked her guitar into its case and clipped it shut before the door creaked open revealing their brother.

"Well, if it isn't jolly ol' "throw-her-the-wolves"," Luna grumbled as she slung the instrument over her back, "You gonna lock this door too?"

"What? No," Lincoln laughed, "That would just be cruel. Not sure your ears would survive." Again Luan's face glowed with displeasure. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Lola was a bit worse than wolves," he added.

"Mate, you don't know the half of it..." Luna mumbled as she rubbed her side, "So whatcha want this time then?"

"Oh just delivering breakfast," he replied revealing a plate of sunny-side up eggs. Luna's previously stale face warmed a bit as she took the plate and ruffled his hair.

"Alright alright, quit beggin'," she chuckled.

"Better hope those are "well-done" or else you might be wrestling him for the bathroom again!" Luan laughed. The two other Louds looked at each other and shook their heads.

"Don't worry, I know how to handle her," Lincoln winked as he pulled out another plate, this time possessing a pair of eggs with square yolks in the center. Luna hit Lincoln's fist with her's before exiting. "Your comedic excellency," Lincoln presented as he approached the mischief-maker of the household and kneeled before her throne. More happily than she let on, Luan snatched the plate and put in on her lap.

"The offering is "runny" with delight," Luan laughed signaling for him to rise. Rolling his eyes, Lincoln did so. She would have continued with a few more jokes if he didn't seem so eager to leave. That's why she was surprised when he locked the door when he reached it. Luan eyed the boy curiously as he reapproached her and allowed a smile to adorn her face again. "Uh oh, look's like I'm under room arrest! I should start calling you "cLink"in!" she hooted before taking a bite of her eggs. Lincoln's lower eyelid forced itself upward at the forced humor.

"Luan," Lincoln sighed as he rubbed his temples.

"Yes officer?" she chuckled, "inmate number "dozen" reporting sir! I'd hand over my belongings but all you can "poach" from me are these eggs!" Gleefully Luan thrust the plate forward.

"Luan, will you-"

"Oh oh, say! Why did the prisoner bend over in the showe-" Luan's voice squeaked to silence as Lincoln's fingers curled around her lips and squeezed them. Almost glaring, he pushed his face towards her's.

"Now I'm going to let go of your mouth. And when I do you are going to let me speak. Okay?..." Lincoln growled. More time passed than it probably should have before he received a nod from the older girl. Though hesitant, Lincoln let go of her lips and opened his mouth.

"Because the soap was-" Luan's interruption only got the restraints clamped back across her lower face.

"I need you to help me," Lincoln said quickly so as not to give the pun-filled sibling another opportunity. This time Luan's absent response felt more to be a matter of perplexion than calculation. Once enough seconds had passed to eschew his mind of undesired replies, he lowered his hand again. Even if he'd assumed Luan might not have an immediately quip to throw at him, it was still a bit odd seeing the energetic prankster so still in bemusement. "Ugh, it's stupid to even try to get advice from you of all people, but you owe me for that robot thing so..."

"Ah, so it's blackmail huh," Mr. Coconuts chimed in from where he sat on Luan's wrist.

"And he's the one locking ME up," she laughed. Lincoln folded his arms over his chest and glared at her. "Alright alright, so whatcha need short-stack?" Luan muttered as she forked another bite into her mouth. Lincoln sighed a stream of air from his nostrils and looked to the side. He really wasn't sure about his decision, but...there weren't many others he could turn to for aide. Not without raising suspicion. He didn't have anything to goad the others with after all in case they ended up prying too deeply into his affairs.

"I...need...can you show me how to walk silently. Like...like really WALK silently?" Lincoln asked. He didn't look at Luan. He couldn't believe how stupid he sounded asking HER for such help. Luan's chewing slowed with each pass of her teeth until she finally stopped and paused before swallowing the contents in her mouth. She put a finger to her chin in thought. "...okay, alright I'm...I'm just gonna unlock the door and head out. Sorry for-"

"Sure," Luan smiled. Lincoln cocked a brow at her.

"...what?"

"Yeah, hold on," she said as she set her plate on the shelf next to her and got up. She breathed in and out a few times and then Lincoln's eyes widened. Without any slip-ups the taller girl strode over to him, and to his utter amazement, he heard NOTHING from the mouth or body of the ever-feared jokester. Not a slip from her tongue or a thump from her feet. NOTHING. Lincoln jumped as she came to a stop in front of him and put up his arms into a defensive gesture. Spurred on by the reaction, Luan proceeded to switch from foot to foot in her standing and made a few motions with her arms to demonstrate the unbelievable craftsmanship of her quietness.

"Wha-! How! Huh-! Gyuh?!" Lincoln sputtered at the performance. With a coy smile, Luan bowed.

"Tada!" she exclaimed. Lincoln's eyes almost bulged from his head.

"H-h-how!? How did you...WHAT?!" his stupefied vocals grasped at the questions as the older Loud giggled.

"Oh Linky, you are so adorable when you're stumped," she chuckled and ruffled his hair. Normally he'd have probably fought back against it but his figure was too petrified by the act to do so. "You were my assistant silly. Have you forgotten the party I saved your ass at?" Lincoln's eyes lowered as he thought.

"The party I...oh right the...goths?" he recollected, "You...OH!...you...right the...the mime stuff..." Lincoln almost slapped his head. He almost couldn't blame himself for forgetting though with how verbal or destructive her "humor" usually was. To compliment the realization, Luan tied an invisible rope around her finger and moved it up and down.

"You gotta be prepared for ANY joke," Luan told him.

"Well great! I-"

"But why do YOU want to learn?" she prodded grinning at him as she lowered her face to his level. Lincoln's face reddened slightly from the question and closeness.

"That's uh...n-none of your...business?..." Lincoln shrugged. Luan's eyelids lowered. She had him cornered and he knew it. She could just as easily agree to help as she could not. But he also knew he had his own leverage. "I...don't have to tell you...a-anything," he stammered, "cause...if you don't help me...I mean I wouldn't be able to help it if the others found out LUAN WAS THE ONE THAT REPROGRAMMED THE ASSIST-mfmhh!" Now Luan's face was the one that changed color, though her's more due to alarm as she clamped her hand over the younger boy's mouth. He struggled to get free as she constricted the other arm around his body and pulled him back against her. The two waited but no response came. The door didn't burst open, no one shot down the halls. Quietness.

"...okay okay, you can keep your stupid secret," Luan grumbled as she let go of him. Victoriously, Lincoln brushed his shirt off and beamed at her. "Look, it's really simple," Luan sighed as she put a foot out, "it's the balls of your feet. The part where all your toes connect." Lightly she pressed the segment to the ground and propped herself into the air by it. Swiftly her next foot came down a few inches ahead of it in the same manner and casually she strutted across the room, not a sound in her trail. Lincoln watched in wonder. In the back of his head he was pretty sure he'd known the basic gist of it, but having it explained to him evened out the details.

Taking a deep breath, Lincoln shut his eyes and put out his own foot. A bit more wobbly, he landed it on the floor and swung his body forward allowing the next foot to touch a few inches ahead, though a bit harder than Luan's had. He tried to restrain his thrust for the next step and bit the impact back a bit, but the one after that landed with about as much force as the second step. By the time he got to Luan he knew that he hadn't performed as gracefully, but he'd also noticed his steps being more quiet than they had when he'd attempted to sneak up on Lori. Looking up at Luan he was greeted with an almost prideful grin.

"Well look who's "stepping up" his game," Luan laughed as she patted him on the back, "What do ya say about lending Funny Business Inc. a "foot" this week? We got a whole slew of mime-kids to entertain on Friday!" Lincoln's eyes popped at the mention of the date.

"Oh ho ha...ha...eh...n-no, I'm...yeah no," he mumbled as he rubbed the back of his head, "...especially not on THAT day..." Luan's intrigue returned, but she didn't have much choice but to let the decision be what it was given the ammunition that he could use against her. Her face flushed as she felt the rare pressure of affection from the arms that wrapped around her body. "...thanks though..." Lincoln murmured from her chest.

"Oh, speak NOTHING of it," Luan replied returning the hug, "the pleasure is all MIME." Lincoln's smile strained under the puns. "I can tell from your SILENCE how grateful you are." And that was enough. As expected, Lincoln broke his way out of the embrace and headed for the door. Regardless of his desire or lack-there-of for the comedian's companionship, he did still have sisters to feed, and Luan had not tried at all to persuade his stay. As he slipped out the door he paused for a moment and flashed her a smile. "Don't "pantomind" me, I'll just-" The door shut a bit forcefully.

* * *

In the quiet halls of Royal Woods Elementary a lone figure strode through the corridors. In their empty passages a locker's door squeaked as it rocked back and forth on its worn hinge, but little else provided input. At least nothing in the immediate vicinity could be heard save for the blocked lectures of teachers to their students through the doors that lined the hall and the growing low pitch of voices as the figure approached the cafeteria. As any student knew, and likely various teachers as well, the request to use the bathroom was one not to be taken lightly. It was a chance at freedom, a bliss to part one's self from the monotony of whatever soul-sucking sentences their teachers had to fill their heads with. Once the student had made their trip, if they even intended to do so, they would be free, for as ever long as they didn't arouse suspicion, to attend to whatever other luxury they could incite.

Lucy stopped. She'd felt something. Something that pushed against the bottoms of her feet and caused the bones of her legs to wobble ever so slightly. Instinctively she slid into an outcropping that a few lockers provided on a wall she was about to round and pushed herself against them to hide. As predicted, it was a few other students that ran excitedly through the hall, not even noticing the still figure. Once they had passed Lucy reemerged and resumed her trek. The voices were getting louder in the distance. She knew that persons that had passed her would have likely be kids, but she'd rather not have been seen by a patrolling teacher. Or worse, a hall monitor. Especially if Lola and Lana had been allowed their stab at it again.

Lucy looked towards an open door as she walked. Thinking back it was a blur, but she knew that the location had been a place that she'd visited the day before. Though it was obviously much different in design in that mangled fantasy of heroics, there was still remnants that lingered in her head of what it had been like, even if she couldn't fully grasp it. She had felt that in time the memories might fade completely, but as the day had worn on the fragments seemed to settle as their vague bursts in her head. They were almost feelings more than memories. But enough remained to understand the generality of what had happened. But part of her wished she could have remembered more. She was grateful that at least one thing remained of the insanity of the previous day however.

Paper crumpled as she reached into her dress to pull the material out. Her feet slowed in her mind's drifting. She hadn't expected the projection of her picture from Lisa's device that night to be so...soothing. While the figures of she and her brother remained still on the piece of paper, their motions from the projection played out in her mind. The closeness, the nuzzling... Lucy felt her lips press together at the thoughts. For whatever the emotions, it did bring comfort in that viewing. She could also probably have attributed her easier sleeping than some of the others in her family that night to the thoughts. But why had she even wanted to use the picture on it? What had she hoped to gain from it?

As she reached the cafeteria she pocketed the picture and picked out the sight of one of the subjects it held. She was surprised that she hadn't noticed Lincoln immediately, but it didn't take too long for her to find the white-haired boy who had walked up next to Clyde, seemingly unnoticed given how his friend had jumped at the sight of him. Lucy's teeth bit her inner lip lightly as she slid into the room and snagged a juice box from a cooler. There was no sense in making a trip to the bathroom without finding something to replace the lost contents with. She was about to turn back to the door, but she stopped halfway. There truly was no sense in wasting the trip...

"Well at least I know that even if you got the fans, I'm still ahead of you when it comes to the fearlessness-"

"Hi Lincoln."

"AHHH!" the boy cried as he jumped away from the sister that had suddenly appeared next to him. Clyde took a few seconds to recover himself before he let go of the cradle he'd caught Lincoln in. The two boys blushed in embarrassment. "Eh...I mean...ahhh..." Lincoln repeated more dully. Lucy tilted her head down so her hair would cover her curled lips. One couldn't say he didn't try. Realizing who he'd attempted the act in front of, Lincoln looked to the side, but as he'd hoped Clyde had already returned to signing the objects that the kids Lucy had seen in the hall had brought to him and was too preoccupied to be paying much attention to him. Someone had certainly lucked out when it came to benefiting from the heroics of the previous day's adventure. "Shouldn't you be in class?..." Lincoln murmured out of the side of his mouth.

"Bathroom break," Lucy replied taking a sip of the juice box.

"Ah...good call," Lincoln approved noticing the item. Lucy continued to suck on it for a few seconds before removing it from her mouth and holding it towards him. "...oh, n-no, I'm fine," he told her. Lucy shrugged and took another sip.

"I just figured you'd want something to clear your throat after this morning," she said. Lincoln looked to Clyde again to hide his returning blush. "You didn't have to make your eggs like mine ya know..." she said. Forcefully, Lincoln hung his face in a lour manner and turned back to her.

"It's not like the type of egg would have mattered," he said emotionlessly, "they were as black as my soul, a compliment to the futility of this world." Lucy stared at his unreadable expression before returning to her drink with a blush of her own.

"S-so...Clyde he...this is-..." Lucy coughed changing the subject. Lincoln eyed his friend with covet. Another group of children had arrived for autographs along with Coach Pacowski.

"Well, he saved the day yesterday," Lincoln huffed folding his arms over his chest. Lucy's nervousness faded in the pitiable jealousy of her brother. Snickering as lively as she could, she patted him on the back.

"Don't worry Ace, you have your fans," she told him. Lincoln looked down to her just as she turned her face. She hadn't thought the comment would bring the color back to her cheeks. Lincoln smiled as he ruffled her hair highlighting her face even more. "...w-well I sh-should get back," Lucy eeked out, "I'm u-usually pretty good in the t-teacher's eyes. Don't wanna tarnish the reputation ya know..." She wouldn't let herself turn, but she did see her brother's nod from the corner of her eye. Wordlessly she walked back to the door of the cafeteria. Before she could fully slip through something prompted her to look back at the gathering of children from the doorway. She didn't know if she'd expected it or not, but Lincoln noticed her stalled figure after a few moments of glowering at the crowd. Hesitantly she gave him a wave and he did the same with a smile. Lucy could feel her face about to melt the smile off of it from how hot it got as she left.

* * *

For most of the day the classes of each of the grades passed rather uneventfully save for the hordes of children that'd clamor around Clyde whenever he and Lincoln would traverse the halls. The Louds themselves got a few questions from friends, but their attention paled in comparison to the one that had taken the role of sidekick. The adoration aside, the family couldn't believe that they had even gone back to school that day. The entire building and the areas around it looked like nothing had even happened. In fact, quite a few spots looked better than they ever had, a clear benefit of having Lisa's invention helping with the repairs. Each Loud had made sure to wear their distaste for her assistance towards maintaining their attendance on their sleeves whenever they'd seen her throughout the day. By the time they were back outside at the parking-lot none of the other siblings even looked at her.

"Oh come on! I said I was sorry!" the smallest of the group whined as the older ones continued to interact with each other. Well...while Lola rattled off the, probably falsified, amounts of praise and jubilation that her peers had had for her for having taken part in the heroics the day before. Lucy and Lincoln gave each other glances every so often when their ears would catch word of some of the more outlandish claims that she'd make. Lana on the other hand was surprisingly quiet. Normally she'd at least give some rebuttal or word of doubt towards her twin's boasts, but the most she emitted was a rare scoff when she'd bother to listen enough to take notice.

No, her attention was on the two older siblings. Their little dip into the super-hero fantasy may have garbled things up, but once it had worn off her mind had snapped back into place, and what she could recollect of the time spent as The Royal Flush had held no favors for her investigation into the boy and the goth's oddities. She couldn't remember much, but she did know that they had worked together more than the others had. And whatever truce had been formed in their disoriented state had ended the moment the event was over. There was an oddness to them that had only heightened as time had worn on. A duality not unlike herself and Lola, but...different. The way they walked when together, the way they knew to look at each other when the other desired to. There was something between them. And she would be damned if she would let whatever dastardly agenda they had come to fruition.

Lincoln or Lucy may have taken notice of the unusual attention they'd been receiving from the tike, but if they had it was forgotten when a large vehicle screeched to a stop in front of them. Immediately Vanzilla's doors were flung open and the five younger Louds were pulled inside by their older sisters. The younger ones looked around in a panic as they tried to figure out what was going on while the van's engine hummed to life and sped off into the streets of Royal Woods.

"Wha-what's going on?!" Lola cried as she popped out of Luan's grip.

"Pipe down squirt," Lynn grumbled while she fought to restrain Lucy, "We're just heading to the mall." Lana grinned seeing Lynn's efforts against the ghostly member of the family.

"So that clearly means you had to kidnap us," Lisa summarized. She didn't even try to fight back against her captor.

"I'm sure any of us would have been fine with going to the mall," Lincoln added.

"Oh don't get all "hostage" on us," Luan laughed.

"Yeah, you brats wouldn't have come along quick enough," Lynn scoffed, "heck, this is calm compared to how they got me in here. Try fighting with THREE of them..."

"Yeah, we like totes got the bruises to show," Leni told them as she peered at the young jock.

"I was pretty sure I gave one of you a concussion," Lynn grumbled at the apparent sloppiness of her handiwork.

"Well if it's Leni brah, then that-"

"Will you guys pipe down!" Lori yelled from the front. Instantly the group quieted and looked at each other. Those that hadn't broken free of their abductees hugged them as the car flung itself to the side and sped past one that'd been driving a bit too slowly for the eldest's tastes. "I like literally forgot that tomorrow is me and Bobby's annual 245-day-from-the-day-we-met anniversary and I like literally NEED to find a present to at least show him in a video feed! So keep the mouths shut and let me get us there!" The newcomers to the van looked at each other in disbelief.

"THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT?" Lola yelled as she unruffled her dress and repositioned her tiara.

"YES!" Lori yelled back turning to glare at her. The others were surprised at the silence that followed. It took a bit to frighten the pageant-queen.

"...that's an oddly specific anniversary celebration," Lisa commented, having been the first to break out of the stupor of the scene. A glare to her shut her up as well.

"BRAH! CAR!" Luna exclaimed. Lori whipped her head back to the front to see the rear of another vehicle speeding towards them. The other Louds screamed and wailed as they clung to each other in anticipation of the impact. Just as they were about to collide though, Lori jerked the steering wheel to the right causing the van to careen into the shoulder of the road. The rocks from the wheel that had gone off the road bounced the collection of bodies up and down inside the vehicle with how fast it was moving. In the ensuing splashes of limbs and torsos most of the children within the clutches of the older ones were freed and were tossed back and forth against the walls. Gritting her teeth, Lori jerked the wheel back to the left once she was sure that she'd passed the car that had been in front of them and the hazardous environment calmed to a more level habitat.

Groans and whines poured from the back, but Lori hardly had time to check on the others. Not when such an important objective was at stake. Seeing no more cars ahead, Lori floored the pedal leaving the cursing inhabitants of the one she had passed in the dust. Lola gave some foul words of her own as she crawled back onto one of the seats, something that her twin would have joined in if her ears weren't ringing. Luna, who had clung for dear life to the back of a seat, slid to the floor. Lynn's legs flailed uselessly in the air from where her head had been buried in the seat of one of the chairs. Lisa looked on with disinterest as she popped out from the underside of the seat beside her, her mind having calculated just where to take shelter for the conflict. And Leni lifted herself up from some of the middle seats she'd been laying on, her demeanor confused as to why everyone was complaining about the free dryer cycle Lori had put them through. It'd save on having to use the laundry equipment back at the house after all.

If the various sisters hadn't had their own bumps and bruises to tend to they may have been more apt to check on each other, but as they recovered each of them nursed their wounds while some prepared themselves for whatever other insane maneuvers the driver might attempt. Two bodies however were rather preoccupied from where they had landed in the back of the vehicle. Lucy knew that her face had to be blood red. She could feel the breath of the person that'd landed ontop of her on her lips and cheeks as he stared back down at her. Flushed with anxiousness, Lincoln gulped and let out another exhale from his nostrils. He'd managed to keep himself propped up by his elbows to keep from crushing her when they'd landed, but with the positioning they'd adjusted to he found it hard to do much else.

Staring down at the raven-haired girl, Lincoln could have sworn he saw a glint from beneath some of the strands near her nose. A sliver of a glimpse at what forbidden ovals lay beneath. He found himself growing more and more warm as he thought on the curtain of hair and the contents within. Without even thinking, his hand moved towards Lucy's face and tucked its thumb through some of the strands. Lucy's breathing stopped and in that moment they froze. The two just looked at each other, unsure of if the action would proceed or what would happen if it did. After what seemed like minutes, the hand slipped back to the side of her face and put its palm to the floor of the vehicle that she laid on.

"W-w-...what a...travesty..." Lincoln stammered as he attempted his best go at an emotionless voice, "we st-still cling to this m-mortal coil..." Lucy felt a bit sorry for Lincoln's questionable choice of when to do his practicing, but she was glad that it helped dissipate some of the...nervousness of the situation. Her mouth a wobbly smile, she let out a quiet dry laugh and turned her head to the side so she wouldn't have to look at the boy above her. Once the tension had been broken it didn't take long for the two to rearrange themselves. Unnoticed almost to everyone, they rose from backseats of the vehicle and sat on them. Only one of the sisters seemed to realize their late arrival, though if they were just switching spots or hadn't been there the whole time she didn't know. Lana hadn't been paying the best attention in the aftershock of the wild ride.

"Looks like Mr. and Mrs. Vampire-Converters just conveniently got the backseat to themselves again..." Lana murmured to Lynn who had managed to pull her head from her seat about a minute before. She was still the process of rubbing her temples.

"Hm?" she mumbled. Irritably she received a jab from the younger girl's elbow.

"Lincoln and Lucy!" Lana hissed quietly. Lynn glanced towards the back in annoyance and rolled her eyes.

"Oh right, them," she murmured.

"Them?" Lana repeated in disbelief at the disinterested tone, "THEM? What do you mean them! Have you forgotten their whole "we're-gonna-turn-the-town-into-vampires" schtick?"

"Course I haven't," Lynn told her with a stretch, "but whatever happened in that whole adventure yesterday made me realize something. Lucy ain't bad enough to kill me. So yeah, let em do what they want. We'll take em down eventually, but until that times comes you should relax a bit. You have no idea how much better sleep I got last night once I knew that I wasn't going to wake up with a knife at my throat." Lana gawked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. All the evidence she'd gathered, all the theorizing, everything had just been brought down a notch. Just because her "partner" decided that it now wasn't as urgent a problem! Well she wasn't ready to give up, not just because she might feel a bit "safer".

After a few more violent turns and vicious skids the family made it to the parking-lot of the mall. Without any warning the doors of the van exploded open and each of the children burst off running. Given how desperate she was to find her item, Lori didn't take note of where anyone had scampered off to, she just knew that she had to start looking at wherever she could think of to find a gift for Bobby. Lynn gave no help in Lana's efforts as she tore towards the sports-equipment stores only matched in speed by Luna and Luan's race towards sales-places of their own interests. To make things harder, Lincoln seemed to be heading towards the comic-book store, a destination that Lucy seemed to not be giving any thought to. It was hard enough having to keep track of them, but if they were splitting up it'd be damn near impossible to do so!

But then another obstacle struck. Lana almost skidded to a halt as she spotted it. The Pet Store. Her lips pursed and teeth crunched as she tried to stay focus on the two older Louds. She couldn't afford any distractions! No matter how cute and fluffy the dogs were or how slimy and wet the snails oozed...or how scaly the lizards were plated...or...NO! She had to keep on their trail! It wasn't just the Loud Family that might be in danger! All of Royal Woods was potentially at stake! She couldn't afford to let her affection for the housed wildlife to overtake her in such a dire moment! She couldn't just give up the mission for adorable hamsters and wildly colored parrots that could talk and maybe even a raccoon. No, she never stopped running. She didn't need to. Even as Lucy and Lincoln became smaller in the distance, Lana's legs turned her into a curve back to the Pet Store and like a boomerang she darted straight into it.

"Don't worry brethren! I'm coming!" her voice faded as various animal noises squawked and hooted from the building. Lincoln turned his head back for a moment to see where the commotion might be coming from but within seconds he'd put his attention back on his own destination. Well, at least until it was directed elsewhere. Surprise filled his face as a colder hand slipped into his and the younger girl it was attached to ran in front of him. Smiling, Lucy pulled him away from his path and towards the Reiningers Clothing Store. Lincoln looked back towards the Comic Store for a moment, but it didn't last long. It was hard to argue seeing such an expression on Lucy's face.

"Now what's all this about?" he asked, "You know it's not everyday that I get to see if a new issue of Ace is out."

"I do apologize Lincoln, but we have more pressing matters at hand," Lucy told him. The two felt a breeze of air-conditioning sweep across their bodies as they passed into the store's perimeter. Rack after rack of shirts and pants flew by in Lucy's tug through the aisles.

"And what might these "matters" be?" Lincoln continued, though his eyes caught sight of a rather cool looking Muscle Fish T-shirt, "Hm...might need to come back here later..."

"Your outfit of course," Lucy told him. Suddenly she felt her legs fly into the air in front of her as Lincoln's stopped and kept her body in place. "Perplexed exclamation. What are you doing?" she grunted as her feet landed back on the ground.

"Stopping," Lincoln said flatly, "You dragged me away from Ace to get some outfit? What about what I wore to Goth Mic Night?" Lucy shook her head.

"Lincoln, you looked cute in that. But this is a more...traditional affair," Lucy explained, "for something of this reverence we need more sophistication." The boy folded his arms across his chest and lifted his eyebrow.

"And what exactly would "sophistication" entail?" he murmured. Lucy smiled at him.

"Just keep walking," she urged pulling at his hand. He remained unmoved until a few more tugs with, eventually, a sulking head. Though glowering, he allowed himself to be dragged further into the store, much to the paler girl's quiet delight. He did have to admit, skipping through the rows of clothing with her eagerness almost made up for missing out on the comics.

Almost.

* * *

Lucy Loud waited, clothes in her hands and mind in the storm clouds. She'd known that the store wouldn't have been Lincoln's choice of pleasantry, especially after a day at school, but it wasn't her's either. She couldn't help how the Ball would be, and tradition must be respected. What would the other goths of Royal Woods say if she'd showed up with a casually dressed punk? That was fine for showing off around the town, but at such an esteemed event? She'd get emotionlessly laughed out of the gathering. She could just picture Haiku's face. To the normal observer it'd be an expression of disinterest, but to her? She would be able to notice even the most minuscule of lip-cracks. There'd be no hiding the jeering of her peers from her.

"Sigh, Lincoln, are you almost ready?" Lucy called as she tapped her foot.

"Hey, you're the one that dragged me in here!" he blurted back from the changing room, "These type of clothes take time to slip into! If you don't wanna wait that long you can always come on in." Lucy just huffed silently to herself. Of course SHE had to have the brother that took the longer than his SISTERS to get ready for school on a lot of days. She had no qualms with marching into the changing room, but she knew it'd make little difference. And besides, she knew what it was like to have her own privacy interrupted. It'd be rude to just waltz in there with him half-dressed. She shook her head to sift the thoughts from it.

She had to be focused. The goal was the same as ever, privacy or not. Getting that boy's attention. Winning him over as a consort for her undead vampiric future. The boy from Goth Mic Night was a prize unlike any other, one that all the other ghouls of the eternal stay on the mortal plane would surely be jealous of. His round face, his light hair, his ever-so-slightly maturing body, the way his red underpants hung on him. Lucy's eyes popped open as her cheeks filled with crimson. Her mind tried to contemplate just where the last assumptions had come from, but her body dispensed with the feigned ignorance. Glancing towards the changing rooms, she viciously shook her head.

It was foolish to pretend that there weren't similarities, but how was she to know how the boy looked beneath his dressings? She had certainly seen Lincoln around the house in his "reading-material" enough to have a good view of his body imprinted in her mind, and he definitely wasn't the most out-of-shape guy around. Her head had to just be filling-in the blanks with what she was accustomed to. Had she been paying attention she might have noticed that her cheeks and nose had not dimmed much in color. Around the house it was just a normal view, but dwelling on the image of Lincoln reading his comics, her body began to itch. It was those lines, that faint detailing on his body that went unnoticed in casual interactions and his scent unmasked by the lack of covering. Lucy's nose flared. One benefit to when she finally joined the ranks of the grave-dwellers was that she, hopefully, would be less provoked by the hormones of her young body.

"Alright, finally got it-OH COME ON! More of them?" Lincoln growled as he exited the changing rooms and spotted the mound of clothes that Lucy had gotten for him to try on in her hands. Lucy however barely heard the exclamation. She was more focused on what Lincoln was wearing. The jet-black coat and pants they had picked out for him outlined his figure perfectly and his peachish skin and white hair popped in contrast. If the heat had died from Lucy's face at all it had reignited with a vigor and she turned her head to the side to let the steam waft from it. "I was in there for like five minutes!" Lincoln whined as he took a step towards her. She took a step away to keep the distance from the view of her tomato of a face. "You really want us to be here all day? Lori's gonna have the gift picked out for Bobby before we're out of here at this rate!"

"I just...thought...I-...hmm...mmm..." Lucy bit her lip during a couple of the pauses as she tried to form a response under the impossible weight that his visuals' presence put on her. Lincoln just looked to the ground and shook his head. He gave up on the comics the moment he saw the pile of clothing that Lucy had brought to the changing rooms.

"How're you gonna pay for any of this anyhow?" Lincoln sighed. The heat of Lucy's face cooled from the question. The mention of money had been enough to jerk he head back to reality.

"...me?" she asked. Lincoln blinked a few times and gave her a dumbfounded gawk.

"What?" he asked in disbelief, "were you expecting me to-I-WHAT? You think I got the money for this stuff?" Lucy fidgeted a bit.

"Well...you do get more of an allowance than me sometimes when you put the effort in..." Lucy murmured.

"These are hundreds of dollars Lucy!" he reminded as he tugged at the coat. The aggravation in his movements at least helped to waver the admiration of his figure.

"...you could...work it off over time..." she suggested. His eyes narrowed. "...sigh, I guess I could lend a couple of bucks..."

"A couple-!...Lucy, no," Lincoln stated, "We are not getting this stuff."

"But Lincoln!" her faint voice tried to argue, "We-you-we need something for you to go in!"

"Then we can get one of dad's old outfits," he reasoned as he unbuttoned the coat.

"They're too big for you!" Lucy shot back.

"Like that stops you with mom's wedding dress," Lincoln shrugged as he pulled the tie off.

"That's a dress Lincoln! It can be modified easier!"

"Well, the money we got can't," he said attempting to slip the coat off. Before he could fully do away with it however, Lucy dropped the clothes she had been holding and pulled the sleeves back up to his shoulders blushing.

"J-just...sigh...can you go back in the changing room? We don't need everyone in the store staring..." Lucy requested in defeat. Realizing how much he'd been removing himself, Lincoln nodded and retreated back into the stall he'd put the clothing on in. Lucy hung her head as he dressed and collected up the ruffled piles of shirts, coats, and pants that she had dropped in her frenzy to keep the boy from stripping. It took a while, but eventually her reluctant figure deposited the items back where she'd gotten them from. Lucy couldn't believe how much effort she'd wasted, nor how she hadn't given any thought to how they might acquire the items. As she returned to the changing rooms she wasn't as surprised to see that the boy wasn't done yet, but still harbored a bit of incredulity at how long he could take. Somewhat annoyed, she slumped back against the wall of the changing room and let out a verbal "sigh". Perhaps the worst part was not getting to go to the Ball with that presentation.

"...you-...you looked...good...in that...ya know..." Lucy mumbled just loudly enough that her voice echoed through the changing room. With the walls separating them, Lincoln was more welcoming of the congratulatory blush than if he'd received it in the open.

"Oh...um...th-thanks..." he almost coughed. The nervous response curled Lucy's lips a bit. "Y-you looked good...too..."

"...I'm wearing what I always wear..." she reminded. The blush deepened.

"Y-yeah I-...I kn-know..." his anxious voice stammered. The cute nervousness was too much to not smile at, and though it'd obviously been a mismanaged default response, Lucy couldn't help but blush herself. Hearing the door creak open within, she pushed herself back to her feet and put her arms behind her back. She kicked the ground lightly upon seeing him slide into the open with the coat, pants, and shirt draped over his arm. Even if he was relieved to not be trying to make off with such expensive items, Lincoln did know how much it meant to Lucy to get things right. He could feel the hairs of her skin straighten as he put his thumb and forefinger onto her jaw to lift her head to look at him.

"It's alright...we'll...figure something out," he told her. Lucy wished she could back away from the touch but her body wouldn't allow it. "...ya know...there might be something for vampire-suits in the Halloween section..." he mused. The suggestion did spark some thoughts from the girl, and it would give her an excuse to inspect the selection that the store had for whatever macabre trappings she'd imagine up for the next round of Tricker Treaters. It might not provide anything near the level that they should be aiming for for the Ball but...perhaps it could be a start...

"...well why are you still holding those then?" Lucy eventually asked as she looked at Lincoln's clothes, "shouldn't we be putting them back?" The boy smiled at her as they walked off.

"...what a weird-ass family..." Girl Jordan said to herself in her stall of the changing rooms once the voices had faded.

* * *

"Hmm...no...no...nope...nu uh...you call that Quantum Physics?" the short girl criticized as she went down the line of items within the mall's "Science" store. She felt like spitting on some of them. The place was a mockery of the art. Whenever she needed something she was better off tricking her parents into paying for it online, a task that had become much easier after Lincoln's teachings on how to more easily goad their mother and father's feelings . The was something she'd forever be indebted to him for. Still, the store was one of the few places she had to "hang out" at in Royal Woods, and the visuals were rather pleasant. Stars and planets were always an easy way to set the mood. On occasion, she had to admit, they even did have the surprise ingredient that she needed.

On that day however, she'd been having no luck. Just shelf after shelf of Grade 5 books on simple Chemistry assignments. MAYBE High School level, if she got lucky. What she'd been able to find of theories on relativity or much of any hypothesis that would assist her in her endeavors were of such juvenile nature that they weren't even worth looking at. She stopped as she came to the next aisle and glared. It was the dreaded dinosaur-skeleton toy aisle. Sure they'd been fun when she was about five months old, but it did not take her long to realize the inaccuracies to actual fossils records of the creatures. Once that charm had worn off they'd become little more than paperweights.

"Ugh, I am NEVER gonna get that Infinite Energy Production Device done at this rate!" Lisa grumbled. Angrily she stomped over to a bin of the figures and thrust her hand in. With the events of the previous day utterly annihilating her experiments with reality-warping, she'd fallen back on a previous subject of research, but one that she could apply the experiences of her botched contraption to. With a grunt she pulled out the skeleton of a triceratops and another of a tyrannosaurus and started mashing them together. It may not have been the most mature thing to do but it did help relieve some stress. Why should she be stressed though?

Having studied what she did of the thing's effects on the school the previous day had led her to some rather startling revelations about how the matter of reality might operate, and how she could possibly manipulate it. All that she'd need would have been some Sulfur Trioxide to get the experiments rolling. But where could she have gone to get that? It'd probably take weeks to find a container, and it'd take some allowance to pay for the shipping of such a compound. Letting out an annoyed cry, she smacked the triceratops skeleton with the tyrannosaur's one launching it up over the nearby shelf. Lisa looked towards the top for a moment before grumbling and walking around to the divider to the aisle it had landed in. She knew that it'd be in poor taste to leave the thing lying around in foreign territory.

Lisa grumbled under her breath as she ventured through the various racks of glopply-gook or whatever other banal children's sludge the store might be trying to gets kids to buy. It may have been fine for Darcy, but that girl clearly hadn't quite grasped the majesticness of true molecular binding or cold fusion yet. Lisa was sure that in time her pal would come to realize just how useless the puddy they played with truly was. But who was she to dash her happiness? For Lisa though it just got in her way. After a bit more digging she finally spotted the toy skeleton resting on the lid of a container around her size.

"Got you," she grinned picking it up, "now let's get you...back to...your..." Lisa's attention slowly lowered to the words that were printed on the side of the container that it had ended up on. Slowly she took off her glasses, rubbed them, and put them back on. Staring her in the face were the words "Sulfur Trioxide". She blinked and smiled at the dinosaur. "...I think I'm gonna keep you guys..."

* * *

In the ill-utilized costume section of Reiningers, its racks ruffled with rare attention given the time of year that it was. Due to low sales when not in Autumn, a majority of the outfits were kept in the back in storage with only a fraction out on display for the once-in-a-blue-moon customer that might actually be browsing the aisles. On that day however there were two, one of whom was part of the reason to even keep the aisles from being completely unstocked. Royal Woods had enough of a goth community to justify the clothings' prolonged presence. The other participant in the search however was of much brighter dressings.

He'd likely never come near the aisle without the girl he was with, but as long as he was browsing he'd found it an opportune time to face down some of the "scarier" things in life. Lincoln had already stared a goblin mask in the face and managed not to scream at one of a deformed leprechaun that had its veins and eyes bulging out. He'd say that he'd been doing pretty good for himself. He may not have been making much headway in finding an outfit to wear, but he was sure that Lucy would be much more capable at picking something out. After all, she was the one that knew the event they'd be attending.

Looking to her, Lincoln was almost surprised to find how studiously Lucy had been inspecting the shelves. There wasn't too much to choose from with how far away the holiday that the section was for was, but what was there captured her interests enough to call for a decent examination. Lincoln gave her a sympathetic smile. Her passion had to be admired if nothing else, and he didn't want to let her down. Even if she had messed things up a bit on the previous week, she was young and in love. Accidents happened. They'd get it right the next time. One way or another she'd find contentness. He was sure of that.

It would be far from their goals however if his role was lacking. Realizing the chance he had with how caught up Lucy had become in her viewing, Lincoln grinned. It may have seemed somewhat mean to an onlooker, but Lucy had scared the entire family enough times to have earned a preview of his sneaking. Slipping on a nearby mask with a grotesque face, Lincoln began to walk as quietly as possible towards his prey, the balls of his feet carrying his weight almost silently. He got within about ten feet of her and she gave no response. Five and still nothing. Beneath the mask Lincoln's grin widened. He was surprised at how much joy he was getting from the mounting tension. He wasn't used to being the one doing the scaring. It was...exhilarating. He was reaching for the girl when suddenly she turned towards him causing him to cry out.

"Lincoln, there you are," Lucy said, her voice completely unaffected by his appearance, "Now then, I've gotten a few Dracula and Edwin sets together and-"

"Hold up!" he sputtered in embarrassed irritation, "I was walking as quietly as possible! Did you seriously not get startled or anything?" Lucy tilted her head to the side.

"...oh. Oh, yes, that. Don't get me wrong Lincoln, you are much better than you were, but yes, I knew you were there," she replied. Lincoln's jaw dropped as did his head shortly after. The lesson from Luan, the sneaking around behind Clyde and amongst his friends throughout the day, it still hadn't been enough! Slumping to the ground next to a shelf, Lincoln pulled the mask off and tossed it to the side. "...Lincoln?" Lucy asked, her voice shifting ever so slightly to concern.

"I was sure I would've had ya that time," he huffed as he crossed his arms, "I mean...I tried so hard." Lucy smiled and knelt down next to him.

"Lincoln, you've gotten a LOT better. I've seen your work. But you can't just expect to out-scare me. My whole life is that. People never pay attention to me to begin with. How I am on my feet is aided quite a bit by that, as is their shock when they realize I exist and am standing there next to them," she explained. His scrunched nose gave little appreciation towards the comfort. "If it makes you feel any better I think it's good enough for The Ball."

"But is it good enough for you?" Lincoln muttered looking to the side. Lucy's head pulled back slightly.

"...for...me?..." she asked, somewhat confused. She noticed a sizeable blush forming on Lincoln's cheeks.

"I don't want it to be good enough, I want it to be right," he told her, "I'm supposed to be your "boyfriend" after all, right?" Now her face joined his.

"Doesn't mean you have to fit the role completely..." she figured.

"But I want to," he said. The two stared at each other, the lesser amount of light in their section of the store barely hiding the glint of their cheeks. Their faces dared each others' to back down, to play off the dramatics as simply that. But neither would. "I...I mean..." Lincoln eventually mumbled from the pressure, "Y-you...we've been going at this trying to nab the guy for a week and a half now. It HAS to be right, doesn't it? We can't just go through another blunder..." Lucy looked down to the clothes she was holding and pushed her mouth to the side of her face.

"...well...you are right..." she said quietly, "...tell ya what. I'll show you how to do the walk myself when we get home. Sound good?" Lincoln thought the offer over for a second and nodded. "Good," Lucy smiled, "Now about these clothes..."

"Alright, let's see what we got," he caved as he shook his head. Grinning, Lucy moved to the racks that were set up around them where she hung the outfits. Thankfully they were connected together in their bags so that the suits and pants just stayed put on top of each other. Once all three of the ones she had picked out were visible, Lucy moved to the center of the aisle and bowed. After a roll of his eyes, Lincoln scanned around the ring of clothing that she had set up. The individual items honestly weren't all that different from each other.

There were obviously slight changes to the designs along the costumes here and there, but nothing too major. One had the sleeves rolled up, assuming that the thing wasn't crafted to look like that, while another had golden designs rippling across its cuffs. One had a broach at the throat and another had coat-tails hanging off the back. Aside from the intricacies though, it was pretty standard stuff given the subject matter they were choosing from. Lincoln probably would have just picked one at random, but a look to his younger companion kept him from doing so. Her unseen eyes insisted for his input. Putting a finger to his chin, Lincoln looked the choices over again.

"I was thinking something a bit traditional at first. Typical vampire getup. Black with a dynamic mark to it," Lucy explained holding her hand out to the one on the left, though Lincoln paid no attention to the words. His mind was busy debating with itself on what he was choosing to notice. "It's true that Vlad didn't necessarily wear the exact outfit in his time, but of the movies that have been made and illustrations that have been done its a pretty accurate representation of the general consensus of his image," Lucy continued. Getting no response from him and noticing the distant stare of his gaze she could feel an embarrassing sweat prickle her shoulders. Coughing in her throat, she shifted her body towards the one that Lincoln's had been facing. "This one isn't always on the show, but Vampires of Melonchalia had an episode where-"

"That one," Lincoln said. Lucy's mouth shrunk to a line as she looked up and followed Lincoln's eyes towards the one resting next to the first one she'd been telling him about. She looked back to his eyes and then to the outfit again before he spoke. "It's nice and simple. Not the darkest black of them, but dark enough so as to make the presence known while still slimming the figure," he summarized. Lucy's surprised gaze examined the outfit as he narrated. "The highlights of the others are nice, but this one keeps it simple. Normal length coat, barely any of the white shirt showing through, and it could actually pass as a suit at a party instead of just a Halloween costume if you squint."

Lucy stared at the selection awestruck. She had not at all expected such a decisive elaboration, but everything Lincoln had rattled off made absolute sense with how he had explained his choice. Once she had looked the outfit over herself once more, Lucy returned her view to her brother who smiled at her. Her face heated, she hung her face beneath her hair.

"I...guess it's decided then..." she mumbled twiddling her thumbs behind her back.

"I'd say so," Lincoln nodded. He looked at her for a good ten seconds before Lucy nodded and walked as casually as possible to the outfits to take them back down. She deposited the two that had been dismissed back to where she had found them while Lincoln tried to find where he'd gotten his mask from. Unable to locate the shelf that had held the numerous copies of it, he just shoved it in front of the veiny goblin one. By the time he'd gotten back out into the main halls of the store Lucy was waiting at the front of the section, plastic-covered suit draped over her arm. Sharing a nod with each other they started towards the checkout while the lowering sun stretched their shadows across the floor.

In the silence of their walk Lucy looked up to the taller boy. She knew that he didn't want to be there. She knew that the other siblings would likely have just given up after the first couple of days, if even that, but him...he sacrificed. He gave up his luxuries to help, and usually with much less coaxing. Lucy knew he'd rather be checking through comics, but he was there by her side anyway, just as he had been when she had been unwilling towards displaying the comics she herself viewed. Lincoln jumped as he felt her head hit his shoulder. Her walk remained in pace with his, but her face now held a small smile as it rested against him. Giving a little smile of his own, he put an arm around her body and rubbed her side. Lincoln couldn't here her voice, but his shoulder felt a hum from her throat.

"...you...checked the price on it right?..." he asked, unsure whether he should attempt to break the silence or not.

"It's a costume that's being bought when it's not Halloween," Lucy said in quiet comfort, "It's only thirteen bucks."

"Oh yeah, th-that's...we can do that," he nodded.

"Mhmm..." Lucy agreed in her lack of attention. Lincoln didn't really dislike the interaction even if his mind tried to instill discomfort. The unusual harmonic hike felt like a quarrel between his instincts and his reasoning, neither side winning out for too long. Not once did he try to back away from the unusual affection, but he never settled on whether he should have or not. What did break the peace however was what awaited them at the register.

"Hi guys!" a chipper voice exclaimed as they approached. In a fraction of a second the two kids had separated from each other and jolted their spines to their upmost positions. Smiling widely back at them was none other than their older sister, Leni. Lucy and Lincoln winced at each other. Not only had they been seen by one of their siblings, but they were in full-view of her, outfit and all.

"L-Leni?" Lincoln gulped as questions and excuses raised through his and Lucy's heads, "W-what are y-you doing here?" The older Loud blinked at him a few times and she put her finger to her mouth in thought.

"I work here!" she replied with a happy snap of her fingers. Lucy and Lincoln looked at each other.

"But...we just got out of school..." Lucy reminded, "...you...you were with us in Vanzilla. Why are you behind the counter?"

"Yeah," Lincoln joined in realizing just where Leni was standing, "You have your nametag on and everything!"

"Oh, well, you see I came in here to look around because I totes saw this glam dress while I was working the other day when Ms. Carmichael saw me and asked if I wanted some overtime and I was like "oh totally. I'm like so OVER time", but apparently overtime means you can work more than you're supposed to and some clothes looked like they needed folding so I like said "sure, I can work more, but I don't want time to be over until I'm done with fixing the new prom dresses we just got" and she was like "do whatever you need to" and then I came over to the registers because we had a lot of customers, but then most of them left, and then you guys showed up and asked me what I was doing here, and I started telling you that Ms. Carmichael offered me overtime and I said-"

"Ohthat'sgreatLeni!" Lincoln blurted cutting the redundant explanation short, "We-uh-well it's nice seeing ya but we're gonna use the other register!" Lucy and Lincoln dashed over to the one next door only for Leni to pop out from behind it as well.

"Alright, I can go to this one," she told them. Lincoln and Lucy slapped their foreheads.

"The next one over," Lucy corrected pulling Lincoln to it. Again Leni materialized from its station.

"This one's too messy!" Lincoln pointed out.

"Gosh you guys, we're gonna run out of registers soon," Leni told them from the latest one. Lincoln and Lucy gave each other baffled expressions. Their hands trembled anxiously.

"Where's the other workers?" Lincoln gaped.

"Oh, they like needed a break so I told them I could handle things for a little bit," Leni told them. Lucy grabbed her head while Lincoln banged his against the wall of the register's conveyor-belt. "Gosh guys, what's wrong?" Leni asked. Lincoln and Lucy's frustrations towards their heads lessened as their eyes traveled towards each other rather lazily. Yes, someone from their family had seen them. But that someone was Leni. And there were benefits to that.

"Okay...Leni..." Lincoln murmured, his eyes still on Lucy. The younger girl nodded. "W-we were just...getting something for...uh..."

"A dramatic reenactment that The Mortician's Club at school is practicing," Lucy suggested.

"Oh cool! I like saw a real exciting Martian movie when I was around your guys' age. Don't worry though, aliens are really just people in costumes. You can totes see the zippers on them when they come out of the saucers," Leni informed. Lincoln and Lucy gave each other a curious look and shrugged.

"Right well...um...look, this has to be a SECRET okay Leni? You can't tell anyone or it will ruin the Mortician Club surprise performance," Lincoln told her. Slowly he slipped the outfit onto the register's conveyor-belt and it wheeled up to her.

"Oh, don't worry. I KNOW how to keep a secret," Leni told them with a wave, "Why there was this one time Lisa told me not to let anyone know that she was the one that took all the Blood Oranges from the fridge for one of her experiments since I, like, caught her taking them, and I never told anybody!"

"SHE DID WHAT?" Lucy hissed, "That was her?!"

"Hey hey, cool your coffins miss moody," Lincoln hushed holding her by the arms.

"I got blamed for that for weeks," she grumbled.

"Maybe so, but should we really be exploding in front of her?" he whispered. In her mouth Lucy could feel her teeth grinding, but she slouched back into her brother's grip.

"Oh and there was like that time where Lana was using Lincoln's Starlight Cruiser 8B Space Ship he'd just put together to did up dog bones in the yard-"

"I'LL KILL HER!" Lincoln yelled. Lucy grinned as Leni stared at the outburst. "...for being such an adorable munchkin!...what a rascal..." Lincoln laughed nervously to try and save his interruption.

"Oh I know right! But don't worry, once a secret goes in my ears it doesn't come out," Leni winked. Lincoln and Lucy bent their brows.

"At least we didn't give her the actual story..." Lincoln mumbled.

"At least Lisa won't take up a big coffin.." Lucy added, trying to stay on the positive side, though it only earned her a concerned glance from her partner, "...ya know Lana's not that big either..."

"...I'll think about it..." Lincoln sighed. His eyes traveled across his lower eyelids and then widened. He had certainly thought of something.

"Alright, there you go, all-"

"Wait Leni!" Lincoln exclaimed throwing his hands out to keep the item from being handed back to them. Lucy just watched in confusion. "Ya know what...since this is a...secret...do you mind if we ask...YOU to take the outfit?" Lincoln requested. Leni looked down at the piece of clothing.

"Me?" Leni asked.

"Her?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah!" Lincoln laughed, "After all you're "in-the-loop" now. We can't just have people popping in and finding out about the thing at home..." Lucy thought about the idea for a second. While it was true that they didn't need the thing immediately, it would've been nice to have it on hand in case anything happened to disrupt their plans. At the same time...the more "secrecy" the better, even if it were in the hands of such a clutz...

"Oh gosh Lincoln, that is like...wow. Such a responsibility," Leni murmured rubbing her cheek, "...okay! I'll keep it here and bring it home when I get off work!"

"Great!" Lincoln exclaimed, "That-"

"BUTTTTT-" Leni drawled. Both of the younger Louds tensed up. They hadn't expected any bargaining from her of all siblings. They had no idea what exchange to brace for. "Only if you let me customize this thing," she reasoned putting her hands on her hips, "This is like totes underwhelming." Lincoln and Lucy looked to each other, unsure just quite how to respond.

"Leni, it's supposed to be black and sleek," Lincoln sighed.

"I know what a suit is supposed to look like Lincoln," she scoffed, "I just want to make it look better than some basic Halloween decoration."

"It's supposed to accentuate the male figure and lean them into the shadows of their unspoken misfortune, their souls caved and their forms trimmed to line as tempered corpses within their caskets," Lucy told her. Lincoln gave Lucy, who had propped herself up onto the counter to press her nose against Leni's, a worried look. The blond girl however just got out a notepad and a pen and started writing.

"Keep stylings the same and make sure it's dreary and hot," she read to herself once she was done. Both of the younger kids blushed and Lucy dropped back down next to Lincoln whom she kept out of her vision.

"...yes..." Lucy nodded. Leni smiled at them.

"Got it!" she told them.

"Yes?" Lincoln asked in surprise. Lucy looked away from him.

"...you're supposed to look good..." she reminded quietly, though Lincoln sensed a hint of something else to the excuse. Leni was busy tucking the outfit away beneath the counter when the store's intercom crackled to life.

"Loud Family report to the main lobby of the mall immediately!" a security personnel of the establishment ordered. Lincoln and Lucy cringed. They couldn't even begin to guess what one of their family members might have done to warrant such attention, but they knew it couldn't be good. To their surprise, the oldest in the store was the one already on her way towards the doors.

"Leni!" the cried as they grabbed her and pulled her back.

"What are you doing?" Lincoln asked.

"Going to the lobby," she answered happily. The boy smacked his forehead.

"Leni, you're the only one running the store right now," Lucy pointed out, "What happens to it if you leave and somebody needs something here?" Leni scratched her head. She hadn't thought about that. With a sad frown she looked to the speaker on the ceiling.

"I'm sorry robot-mall-man, but I have to stay here to do my job," she apologized and bent down to the younger siblings, "just be sure to to tell me what he wanted to see everyone about!"

"Oh don't worry..." Lincoln grumbled.

"I'm sure you'll hear all about it from everyone else..." Lucy murmured. Leni hugged the two Middle-Schoolers before the voice crackled the Loud Family name through its systems again, this time more ferociously. Hesitantly, Lucy and Lincoln darted for the door. Even before they made it through them they could already hear the commotion outside. They though about just staying within the confines of the building in order to avoid whatever potential hazard-zone they may be wandering into, but as they came closer they could see that the simple glass divider likely wouldn't have protected them if the conflict got near enough to them.

On the other side of the doors raged a battle. The entire center of the area between the various stores was littered with bodies of moaning children and animals, most of whom were bruised and beaten. Luan seemed to be rattling off commentary from a light fixture on the ceiling high above the warzone while Luna attempted to get the commotion under control with Lori "helping" via her shouting from the floor above. In the center of the chaos wrestled the two prime culprits of the calamity, the twins. For whatever reason, Lana's freed animal friends had taken up arms against the fleet of children that Lola had enlisted to be the knights of her mall-time kingdom, and the resulting madness didn't feel like it was giving their family much goodwill, especially with the security personnel that lay seemingly unconscious below one of the tables in the food court.

Lucy and Lincoln looked back at Leni and pondered on hiding at the store for the late afternoon. A wave from her however prompted more progress from their feet. Taking each other's hands, they stepped back into the mall.

* * *

The Loud family dragged themselves wearily through the rickety doorway of their house. One by one they entered, each with different amounts of damage decorating their figures. Lola and Lana held the most bruises and cuts while Luna, whom had taken to strumming a more melancholy tune, only fared slightly better than the couple of bumps that Luan held. Lori's scars felt like they had more to do with her throat than anything with how much she'd been shouting, but she at least displayed more normality than most of the others. Lisa had not a scratch on her, and technically there didn't seem to be any on the middle child and the pale girl that followed him save for some tears along their clothes. Lynn however was riddled with splotches of grayish skin and was still bouncing around thrusting her fists out every so often.

"Yeah! You can't handle this coppers!" she hooted as she performed an uppercut upon reaching the interior of the household. Lola and Lana collapsed against the couch only able to glare at each other after their short war.

"How many times have you been kicked out of the Pet Store now?" the girly one chided.

"About as many times as you've lost those fights," Lana spat. Her twin balled up a fist, but the energy for seething just wasn't there.

"Oh hey kids!" their mom greeted as she walked in from the kitchen, "Why're you home so late? We were getting worried! And...what happened?" Rita's concern quickly fell to condemnation at the sight of the ruffled pack of kids. Not in the mood for ridicule, Lori shoved a note from the mall's security into her mother's hands as she made her way into the kitchen for something to eat. Reading the note over, the older woman's eyes shot open and she glared. "WHAT?" she hollered as she followed after the oldest child, "What does it mean by a "ruckus"? And what's all this about a fine-"

"I'll get it paid off later," Lori's voice grumbled. That did not stop the adult however. As their bickering continued the other kids began to drop out of sight, mostly towards the upstairs. Lola and Lana remained barely able to move on their couch cushions but Lynn, still fiesty from the action, eventually made her way outside to throw around some balls. Lincoln had mostly stayed behind in the living room to see when Lucy, who had crawled into the fireplace for some comfort, might make her way upstairs. Once she had recovered enough, or had her fill of listening to the chastising that Lori had been receiving, the silent child reemerged and floated towards the steps, her dark hair making it impossible to tell if it had soot collected in it or not. As she got to the third step however she felt a tug on her arm and was somewhat surprised to see Lincoln grabbing it.

"...oh...right," she murmured as she remembered the session they'd talked about having, "...you think we could do it later? We just went through all that...stuff and..."

"You think that either of us will have the energy to get going again tonight if we end up taking a break?" Lincoln asked. Lucy looked to the floor and shook her head. She knew the answer to that.

"...sigh, alright. Let's just...make it quick. No telling how long Lynn'll be out there..." Lucy reminded. Lincoln nodded and the quiet-talking pair skipped up the steps. Lana may not have heard what their discussion had been, but her eyes narrowed when she heard the two close the door upstairs. Once they were inside Lucy zipped about hiding the few clothes laying around the room wherever she could. No stranger to the messiness that the house could produce, Lincoln merely took a seat on the dreary bed, a rather hard one due to the coffin that lay beneath it. Looking around he spotted Lucy's ever present bust of Edwin tucked away in the corner of the resting-space.

"...how's it goin' man?" Lincoln nodded. Having apparently received enough of a response, Lincoln nodded again and folded his arms. "Yeah it's...it's been a bit of a day..."

"Alright, let us begin," Lucy declared as she slipped a worn dress behind a dresser. Delicately she side-stepped an impossible distance to the center of the room and bowed, "Now what you do is use the-"

"-balls of your feet to walk with," Lincoln stated flatly. Lucy's mouth hung where it had been cut off. Following the awkward pause she rubbed her arm.

"...so...you got that..." she mumbled in surprise. Lincoln rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I asked Luan for some help earlier, but...I can't get it just right..." Lincoln sighed. Lucy looked to his feet as did he. So that had been how he'd improved his steps. It was an admirable attempt, no doubt, but it lacked the full experience of one that had been doing it for as long as she. Most would have simply been content with the improvement that Lincoln had made, but he wanted to get it right. For her. "...yeah, I guess...sigh...there's...really nothing more that ya can say about it..." Lincoln admitted. Lucy rubbed her chin slowly.

"...maybe not "say", but perhaps... "show"..." Lucy suggested. Lincoln gave her a fishy look, but the girl ignored it and walked over to her and Lynn's closet. "Please," she said as she opened it and motioned her hand to the opening, "step in."

"What?" Lincoln asked suspiciously. It was strange enough that the answer to how to "walk" apparently resided within such a confined space, but it was also LUCY's confined space. He may have faced down the masks in the Halloween aisle, but that would be nothing compared to what horrors may be lurking just out of sight in the haunting girl's abode.

"I said step in," Lucy repeated.

"Yeah, I got that. Why?" Lincoln prodded.

"So that I can show you how to walk," she answered. Lincoln's hands buried into his hips

"And how exactly is hiding in a closet gonna teach me anything about walking?"

"Sigh," Lucy grumbled, "you already have the basics down, but if you want further improvements in such a timeframe we will have the best chances if we rely on more...abstract means of guidance."

"Abstract?" Lincoln questioned.

"May you please just get in?" Lucy asked. Her tone didn't raise, but Lincoln could read her well enough that he knew she'd rather not argue. Raising his hands defensively, Lincoln got to his feet and waltzed to the door. Once he was inside Lucy took a few looks around her room and slipped in as well before shutting it.

"Oh I wasn't sure if you'd be coming in too or-YAH!" Lincoln cried as a candle lit up between the two shadowed children. He'd almost had a heart-attack from the sudden appearance of Lucy's face, and his blood pressure only continued to skyrocket from how close she was within the cramped quarters. Their noses were practically touching. Whatever she hoped to accomplish he hoped that it would be quick. Calmly Lucy put the candle on the floor between them and sat in front of it, an action that Lincoln soon decided he should join her in. With how close everything was he could feel the object's heat tickling his nose and he did his best to keep from staring at the lightly illuminated girl in front of him. As the seconds passed though he began to notice more illumination. At first it came from their right. In the distance it seemed as though another candle had popped up. Looking to the left he spotted a few more. But...that couldn't have been possible...the closet was nowhere near that big, and it would have meant he'd have been looking straight through the door Lucy had shut.

Logic seemed to give way however as Lucy confirmed the enhanced space by standing back up and walking out towards one of the candles that had appeared a few feet behind her. Not wanting to be abandoned in the slowly illuminating void, Lincoln scrambled to his feet and took off after her as candles continued to light around them. There was no doubt that worry flooded him, but a sense of excitement accompanied it. He didn't know what the newly offered realm was nor how they had gotten there, but it was cool to have such a space to wander around in, no matter how foreboding it might be. He jerked to a stop when he bumped into Lucy's outstretched arm. He hadn't even noticed how distracted he'd become with the flames that had been popping up. But, once Lincoln had stopped moving, Lucy turned back to him and nodded.

"Now...watch me..." she instructed. Still at a loss for words, Lincoln looked on as Lucy stuck out her foot and brought it down. The knee bent ever so slightly as she leaned into the step, but almost immediately the force given to it was transferred back as she made the press into the next step. And then the next. And the next. And the next. It was almost impossible to tell that it had been that part of her foot that Luan had told him about that she was using to pace with, but since Lincoln was aware of the trick he could see it. The middle of the foot pressed while the rest followed its action. After a few circles around the candle, Lucy thrust out her arm and a bundle of candles in its path ignited.

"Care to give it a go?" she asked. Lincoln looked at the path and then to her, still trying to process just what all was going on amidst the lesson.

"...me?" he gulped. Lucy nodded and began to walk her way through the path, each footfall just barely missing the haphazardly placed flames. Upon reaching the end she bowed and held out her arm in Lincoln's direction. Again he looked at the trail of light and wiped his brow. "Dear god...please don't let it hurt too much..." he prayed to himself. He took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes. They popped open out of fright once he stuck his foot out and began his journey. The first few steps were terrifying. His eyes just saw fire. Fire everywhere. But as its instincts carried him, the areas to step became obvious more and more quickly. Where he was initially scared, he soon found himself maneuvering. Not quite as fluidly as his younger teacher, but more carefully than when he'd picked up Luan's advice.

It was almost as if the candles had been place in just a way that they directed what parts of his foot should land where. Each step seemed designed to cradle his fall and pry the ends of his feet higher than the middle of it. There were a few knocked-over candles in the first few feet, but by the time he'd reached the other side almost none had been touched. As he came out of the trail, Lincoln felt his chest drop with the breath he let out and desperately he grabbed Lucy's waiting arm. Lincoln placed his other hand on the opposite shoulder for support and the two stared at each other.

"...I...I DID IT!" Lincoln practically screamed. Lucy let out an emotionless "eep!" as he grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her into the air where he twirled her around. She couldn't help but smile at his unbridled pride. "Oh yeah! Who's the vampire now? That's right, Lincoln Loud!" he continued to cheer for himself. As the spins came to an end Lucy's feet dragged onto the ground and she wrapped her arms around him in his pull. While his hoots and hollers died down she laid her head against his throat, both for praise and to prolong the shared happiness. Her smile grew with the heavy breaths that she felt through his skin. It shrunk however when she felt something burying into her hair, the expression becoming nearly an invisible line as the lips from the nuzzling face touched her head beneath it.

"Thanks Luce," Lincoln said as he hugged her, "I know it's pretty unnecessary but...it just didn't feel right doing it so sloppily..."

"N-no...problem..." she mumbled, the heat engulfing her making it a trial to respond, "...y-ya...you c-could...could still work on it a bit though..." Lincoln's eyes fluttered open and he looked down at her. Lucy was just happy to feel the anxiousness lift from her body. "...I mean...ya did um...knock some of the candles over," she explained once she realized the awkwardness she'd caused, "and you obviously aren't AS natural at it as you could be with how you were moving..."

"But I did make it," Lincoln declared folding his arms proudly over his chest.

"But you said you wanted it...right...don't ya?" Lucy asked. Lincoln pursed his lips and looked away but nodded. Lucy's small smile returned as she nuzzled against his throat and stepped back towards the path of candles. "Then let's try it again," she said. Before Lincoln could offer a response, she was already strolling through the flickers, a jaunt that Lincoln soon made himself once she started her wait on the other side. It was a much easier returning than it had been making it to the other side, but he could feel his legs fight a bit with his directions. Lucy's own body fought to hold back a wider smile. She didn't know why, but this "lesson" was really bringing some joy to her. The way Lincoln moved and stumbled about. It was adorable. Lucy knew that none of her other family members would ever be so invested in her ways to attempt adapting to them, but Lincoln was taking time out of his already interrupted day to try to perfect it.

There was a difference between "trying" and "doing" however. Lucy led the way across candles again once Lincoln had joined her, and each time Lincoln did seem to get better in his mimicry, but she knew that he wasn't as good as her, nor did she expect him to reach that point. But lord did he try. Around the fifth time he had actually started to race her. It was a competition that ended in a number of downed candles, but Lincoln did his best to remain in pace with how he'd been instructed as he dashed. When he got to the other side his hands grabbed at Lucy's who'd put her's up to defend herself from the oncoming assault. The two wrestled around playfully as the flipped candles oozed their wax into the black expanse that they contended in. Lucy fought halfheartedly, but even when she tried she couldn't do much to overpower the older boy. At his mercy, she allowed her arms to bend a loosely in his grip. Once it was clear that she had given in, Lincoln grinned and pulled her closer.

"Looks like I win on this," he boasted. Lucy drooped her head and let it hit the top of his chest in defeat.

"Perhaps, but I'm still the better walker," she replied, "and besides, if Lynn were here you wouldn't stand a chance."

"Oh is that-" Lincoln's voice was canceled out by the clack of Lucy's door hitting the wall. As if they had never even been there, the candles vanished as light poured into the bedroom from the now open door to the hall. Lincoln and Lucy turned the heads of their frozen bodies to see the girl they'd been conversing about standing in the doorway staring back at them, her feistiness having apparently waned and her brows bent at the strange sight of the two younger Louds' who's hands were joined together before her. The three middle-children stood in silence for a good while before the oldest spoke.

"...what's going on in-"

"Dancing," Lincoln stated. Lynn ruffled her nose.

"Dancing? With HER?" she almost spat as she looked at Lucy, "And what exactly would SHE be dancing to?" Lincoln and Lucy looked at each other.

* * *

Within the creaky walls of The Loud House, beakers fizzled with elements, some possibly having been created for the first time ever there. It was hard to tell with the resident mad scientist's constant tinkering. What she sparked the room with the energy of however was of a wholey new power. The Sulfur Trioxide truly had been the last ingredient that she'd required, and with some smooth words she'd been able to make off with the entire container that the triceratops skeleton she'd been using to fight the tyrannosaurs one at the store had landed on, as long as she promised to make payments to pay off what she couldn't give them that day. And while the two skeleton figures had taken up residence within Lily's crib, the chemicals Lisa had obtained had been eagerly poured into a sophisticated ring that took up half of one of the walls of the room.

Lily's newfound playmates came to a rest between her feet when a bright green expanse of energy formed within the center of the ring and expanded to the limit of its interior. Lisa continued to tap a number of sequences into the keyboard at the side of the contraption as Lily watched on. After a bright flash from the ring she giggled and clapped her hands. Lisa was much more concentrated, carefully studying the terminal that she manned as the energy swirled within the gateway. It was similar in properties to the portals in time she had rarely used, but in effect it covered some form of space rather than history. At least that's how her theories had gone. It'd need testing of course, but the ingredients she had acquired from the mall had boosted her progress substantially.

She found herself giddy with laughter as the energy died down and the room's atmosphere returned to normal. She probably would have cackled into full blown lunacy if she hadn't stopped to listen to something. At first she was confused, but soon she noticed where it was coming from and her eyelids lowered as she realized what the music was that was reverberating through their wall. Lisa would have probably scoffed at the interruption if she hadn't noticed Lily who, having realized what song was playing also, started dancing in her crib. Knowing that the tune wouldn't stop and seeing the enthusiasm on display, Lisa shrugged and joined in with the dance moves.

* * *

"-the best-"

"-the best-"

"-THE BEST THING EVER!" the three separate voices joined together in the final repeat of the song's name. As the music playing in the background came to a close Lucy, Lynn, and Lincoln thrust their hands into the air. In the lively atmosphere, the phone that had been blaring the sounds from its speaker dropped back to its dormant music-selection menu and the kids slouched into more relaxed postures.

"How does that song never get old?" Lincoln asked as he leaned against Lucy's bedframe.

"Cause it kicks ass," Lynn shrugged. With an oblivious smile she strode over to the closet and began digging around inside of it. Lincoln gave Lucy a concerned look given what he remembered going through once they themselves entered it, but Lucy just returned an unconcerned smile. "Ah, here we go!" the older girl said from within the cramped quarters. With a kick of her foot the door shut behind her as she moved towards the exit with a basketball in her hands. Unseen by her, a bat clung to her shoulder, his mouth ready to clamp onto her neck. Lincoln winced towards Lucy who signaled for the creature to evacuate its perch. The bat debated over whether to obey the command or not, but once Lynn began dribbling the ball into the hallway the movements forced the animal into the air and desperately it flew back into the room where it circled the ceiling a few times before landing on the post of one of the legs of Lucy's bed.

"Yeah there's nothin' worse than that thing over there..." Lynn hummed to herself as she continued towards the steps. A weary Lana glared at her ignorant casualness seeing the room that she had just come from. She might have marched right into it herself if Lucy were on her lonesome. At the very least she was sure she could match her in a fight if she resisted the questioning. But if she had her "assistant" with her there was no way she'd stand a chance, especially if he had come far enough along in his "transformation". Grumbling to herself, Lana continued her interrupted wobble to her own room. In the room that she had eyed however, the "vampire queen" and her "assistant" had been left mostly quiet once their latest "obstacle" had been successfully distracted.

"He really is creepy," Lincoln murmured as he gazed at the winged creature above them.

"Thank you," Lucy smiled. Lincoln shook his head with one of his own. "And...thanks for um...you know...um...ya...no one ever tries to do this type of stuff and...um..." Lucy continued. Lincoln couldn't help but blush at the building compliment. The redness only increased as Lucy's failing words directed her towards a tight hug around his body. Delicately he put an arm her neck and stroked her hair.

"I should be thanking YOU for this. I'm just trying to get things right," he chuckled. All he got was a nuzzle from the hair in his face. For a bit he stood there filling his nostrils with the smell of the strands tickling it. He sighed lowering his eyelids. It wasn't an unpleasant odor at all. Tasting it in his throat though flickered back memories. At least...he thought they were memories. He couldn't quite make them out...but he knew what they were of...their adventure yesterday. The two of them...but he couldn't quite remember the details. And he was getting tired of that. "...hey...Lucy-"

"Yes?" she said jerking her head up to face him. The two deepened in color at how close their faces were. "...yes?..." she repeated a bit quieter as she shrunk back. Lincoln smirked and konked his head lightly against her's which squiggled the line of her mouth.

"I um...guh. Yesterday. You remember how things went?" Lincoln asked. Lucy put a finger to her lip.

"...you keep getting annoyed with it too?" she assumed. Grimacing, Lincoln nodded. Lucy huffed a bit of air through her nose. "Sigh, yes. It is kind of annoying. I can tell it's there, but I just can't...get it right..."

"You think maybe you can get me to get it right?" Lincoln asked. Behind her hair Lucy blinked and gave him a questioning expression. "Like, come on. You gotta know hypnotism or something. Maybe that would help." Lucy was surprised she actually hadn't thought of that before. She was no master of the craft, but she had toyed with the notion enough to understand how it worked. "I just...look I know there's some part of that whole thing where it was just...um...US," Lincoln told her. Lucy felt a light heat across her nose.

"So that wasn't just me thinking that," Lucy said to herself. That only fueled Lincoln's quest.

"I was just...ya know...wanting to know what all...happened there..." he coughed, "...since it's you and me and things with us are...kind of interlocked right now...might be best to find out what we might have discussed or whatnot." Though a bit uncomfortable, Lucy nodded. Truthfully, Lincoln was just curious. He didn't know why it was that part of the adventure that he prioritized so much, but he wanted to know what it was. He HAD to. The thoughts about what had transpired had been bugging him all day.

"Just sit on the bed and I'll be right there," Lucy told him. Lincoln did so while she went back into the closet. A moment later she came back out with a rather decorative round object that had a string attached to the top. With some difficulty she crawled up onto the bed and faced Lincoln. Hastily he swung his legs up onto the bed and crossed them as he faced her.

"Do ya really need to make that thing look so fancy?" he asked looking at the pendulum she'd brought out.

"It is said that this was used by James Braid himself," Lucy pridefully informed. Lincoln just stared at the object.

"...I have no idea who that is," he mumbled.

"Sigh, Lisa would know," she said shaking her head, "Now then, please watch the pendulum and listen to the sound of my voice..." Lincoln had to mentally keep himself from rolling his eyes at the showmanship of the act and reserved himself to a grin as he looked at the intricately designed circle that Lucy began to swing in front of him. "You are falling into a deep sleep..." she said. Lincoln's eyes went to his head. He didn't know that she'd actually go through the whole schtick they did on TV. "A deeeeepppp sleeepppp..." she drolled, "At the count of three you will close your eyes and be under my complete control..." Now he did roll his eyes.

"Lucy, are you sure that-"

"One," she said.

"-this is actually gonna do-"

"Two."

"-anything? Cause I-"

"Three," she finished and snapped her fingers. In that second Lincoln's eyelids shut and he slumped over causing his body to fall off the side of the bed and topple onto the ground below.

"Gasp!" Lucy said. Frantically she hopped to the ground and began to push him back up, an accomplishment that seemed to go much easier in her head than his dead weight allowed. For whatever reason the situation felt a bit familiar, but she couldn't place why. Dashing her thoughts of whatever deja vu it might have been trying to conjure, she shoved him back onto the bed and crawled onto it herself. Her chest expanded and contracted more heavily from the exertion. With Lincoln's distant mind however there was not nearly as much need for speed in the process and so Lucy allowed herself some rest as she arranged things into better positions more slowly. Lincoln's stance was hardly an issue, but he probably would have appreciated a more pleasant posture in his awakening since his body likely would be feeling a bit...battered once it did so.

Yanking and tugging, Lucy propped his figure up against the wall that the bed was against. Carefully she thought of how to lay him out. Her head lifted as if she had heard something and turned to the vampire bust next to her.

"...of course he's fine. It was just a fall," she told Edwin as she continued scanning the sheets, "he goes through worse with the twins on a daily basis...Of course I know what I'm doing! I've seen enough videos about it. Besides, Great Grandma Harriet's Spellbook calls for at least a few hypnosises throughout it. I've tried it on Geo a few times." The statue's silent questioning had gotten to be enough to pull her attention from her current session. She knew Edwin could tell that she was glaring at him. "No, that is NOT why the other Geos aren't awake anymore!" she emotionlessly spat, "Sigh!...sigh...hmfh, everyone's a critic..." The argument halted as the two bounced. Curiously Lucy looked over to see her brother having slumped into the small crack between the bed and the wall. Hurriedly she dove into him and started to pry him out.

"Don't worry Lincoln, it's okay, I've got you," she tried to comfort, though what listening ear she might have been speaking to was a mystery that Edwin would carry with him until his next shattering, "Just...come on, work with me here...huff, you are wedged in there good..." Hoping he wouldn't sink any farther down, Lucy let go allowing his arms to fall back over his head. In annoyance she looked the space over a couple of times. "...you know, I can always drop you off at Luan's if you want lessons in being a comedian," she murmured to Edwin. Settling on another go, Lucy put on her feet on the rim of the bed against the wall and crawled up against Lincoln's body. It took a bit of force, but she managed to shove her arm between his back and the wall and wrapped the other around his chest. Constricting the limbs around his torso as tightly as possible, Lucy pulled. The arm pinned between him and the wall stung with pressure from the grinding it was going through, but she could feel the body going. It was slow, but as the centimeters turned into inches she felt the breath easing into her lungs until finally a low "pop" sounded and the two bounced back up onto the bed.

"Pant...pant...wheeze..." the girl narrated from where her head lay within the folds of Lincoln's shirt. Her arms wobbly, Lucy pulled herself to her knees and she looked down at him. She almost felt like curling right back up on the orange pillow she'd landed on. But she had work to do, and she didn't want to allow anymore time to pass for it than necessary. After all, she didn't need to chance anymore mishaps occurring lest Edwin feel the need to give his input again. Crawling over to her actual pillow, Lucy sat above Lincoln's head and crossed her legs. With a push she knocked Lincoln over onto his back and his arms splayed out to either side. Thankful that it was just his head that she had to lift now, Lucy scooted her butt forward so that his the head would drop onto her lap when she let go of it. She couldn't help but smile at the boy's unseeing face staring up at her. The round light-haired head reminded her so much of the boy from Goth Mic Night. He looked so cute in her lap. After a quick look around the room and a look to the door to make sure it was shut, Lucy bent over to gaze at the resting face.

"Sigh...Lincoln..." she said quietly as she stroked his cheek, "sigh...you have no idea the thanks I give that I have you. The quell that you bring to my concerns, my worry. I promise that...someday, I will make all that you have had to sacrifice for me up to you. If nothing else, you, of all souls, will always be welcome at my tomb, even if it's the horrid crack of dawn. I will rise from my undead slumber to greet you. Perhaps...you could even...join me in that blood-filled eternity...would you? Sigh..." Loosely, Lucy wrapped her arms around the head in her lap and bent her's further towards it. "...I'd be more than willing to usher you into that world..." In the growing shadows of the bedroom Lucy was the only one that was aware of the touch of the faces. Had Lincoln had his senses she would have probably slid away sooner, but with him at her manipulation she stayed there for at least a minute with her nose against his jaw and her cheek ever so slowly drifting towards the front of his face.

She could have drifted off into a slumber of her own in the cradling if she didn't have a service to perform. Straightening herself back up, Lucy put a hand on either side of Lincoln's head and lifted her's towards the ceiling.

"Lincoln Loud," Lucy spoke more clearly, "Hear my voice...focus on it. You...you are thinking back to yesterday...yesterday..." Cracking an eye open she looked down at the boy's face. She'd seen it twitch for a second. His eyelids were moving as the eyes beneath them searched for something. "Yes...that's it...think back..." she said again, "You were...Ace Savvy...the leader of the Full House Gang...we were...on a mission...we had to save the school from The Old Maid...a bunch of us had gotten together at where she was hiding out at...and then you...and...The Eight of Spades went further in on your own. Something happened there. Think back to that...think back...Ace and Eight...in the hideout of The Old Maid...something happened between us-them!...them...what was it?..." Curious to see what the reaction might be, Lucy peered down at the face again. She had seen it shifting every so often as she spoke, but as she reached the end of her narrating she'd seen it become more focused. The brows began to furrow and the jaw drooped slightly.

"Think back...what...happened?..." Lucy repeated. After a few more seconds the brows leaped towards Lincoln's hairline and the mouth grew wider. "That's it! What is it? Stay focused on it!" Lucy ordered. Lincoln's eyebrows lowered a few centimeters before shooting back up again as his mouth gaped. "Yes! That must be it!" Lucy cheered lifelessly. For a brief moment a red flush washed across Lincoln's face and the mouth began to close back up. Lucy held the smallest smile she could at the bottom of her face. She was sure she had succeeded. She shot a grin at Edwin now that she now had something to boast back with. Turning her attention back to her brother, she wrapped her arms around his chin. "You've done very good Lincoln," she told him, "Now on the count of three, you will wake up. Ready?" Lucy brought her arms back and lifted one into the air. "One...two...three!" With a snap from her fingers Lincoln's eyes shot open and he pushed himself into a sitting position, his eyes darting around wildly. His eyes somehow became even wider as he looked down at the girl that threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his body.

"Oh Lincoln, welcome back! How was-" Lucy's greeting faded as she felt a hand on each of her shoulders pull her back into a sitting position and place her a few inches away from Lincoln. Not even looking at her, Lincoln took his hands back and put them at his side. "...Lincoln?" Lucy asked, "...what...what happened? Did you remember? What was it?" Lincoln didn't say anything, he just blinked a couple of times. Breathing a bit more steadily he glanced at Lucy but turned his attention to the middle of the room rather quickly after doing so. "Lincoln?" Lucy asked again, a bit more worried now. She touched his shoulder but he didn't react. Lucy tilted her head. Whatever had happened in his subconscious had definitely had an effect on him. "What's wrong?" she asked. Lincoln's lower eyelids crawled upwards a tiny bit as his breath held in his chest.

"Nothing!" he finally replied, a forced grin on his face. Lucy gave him a questionable look.

"Nothing?" she repeated. Hesitantly Lincoln nodded his head. Lucy's small smile had turned upside down. "Well...what did you remember?" she persisted, intent on getting some sort of answer. Lincoln's eyes dilated under the inquiry and he gulped.

"Well...we were...traveling around in Card Counter's hideout," Lincoln recited. Lucy's eyes widened. That's where they had been! Lisa's place in that fantasy-city! As the words came from his mouth that sense of deja vu returned to her. "We...we'd just saved Girl Jordan and Lisa's friend...and we'd gone even deeper but you fell into a trap and I ended up getting...stuck with darts that Lisa had filled with some drug which made me all loopy," Lincoln continued. Every so often Lucy would slowly nod, the memories becoming clearer to her as well. "And we..." Lincoln murmured as he looked at her. Lucy looked back, excitement building in the suspense. The boy sighed through his nose. "Y-you...had to carry me and I was going on about...stuff..." Lucy's face came closer. Immediately Lincoln pulled his back, a rich blush highlighting it. He didn't need her to speak to find out what she wanted to know. "I-...I-...I-..." Lincoln stammered. His breath had gotten quicker with her staring so intently at him. "I started singing," Lincoln almost yelped. That at least pulled Lucy's head back to where it had been, even if it confused her more than anything else. Her sense of remembrance had jerked to a stop with that line.

"Singing?" she asked, the word trying to shove itself impossibly into the rearranging memory in her head. Desperately Lincoln nodded.

"Y-yeah!" he confirmed, "It was like...REALLLLYYYY embarrassing...like, I came up with theme songs for all you guys and went on about like how cool your cape was and how Card Counter will "divide you by zero" and just stupid crap like that..." Lucy held her jaw with her hand and thought. The description had started out fine, but for some reason the part that Lincoln had actually been so insistent on finding...just...didn't click. For some reason it just would not play in her mind like all the other parts that Lincoln had talked about had. Realizing Lucy's pondering, Lincoln cringed. "I-it's probably for the best you don't remember it," he chuckled as convincingly as possible. Lucy gave him a disheartened glance. She just wished she could remember it too. She knew there was a blank there, but it hadn't been filled in for her as it had for him. Figuring Lincoln knew better, she shrugged and just decided to let his assertion stand.

"I'm just glad you found what you were looking for," she told him taking his hands in her's. Lincoln looked down to their clasp before slowly slipping his hand out of it. The retreat surprised the younger girl who held a confused frown on her face. Lincoln felt somewhat guilty about the resistance towards her, but his body almost moved on its own. Truthfully it was more himself that he was unnerved with. Even if he had had no real control over what might have transpired in that fragment of a memory, the casualness of it had clung to his skin like a creeping mildew.

"Lincoln, are you alright?" Lucy persisted, his oddness attracting her concern for his well-being. Lincoln almost fell backwards off the bed as he tried to get off. As unsuspectingly as possible he dusted himself off and straightened his shirt.

"Y-yeah, I'm, I'm great!" he laughed. Lucy could see sweat on his brow. "I-...I should probably be getting headed back to my room though. It's...It's getting kind of late..." Lucy's frown deepened some. "I mean I've been in here for probably an hour or so and we do got school tomorrow so um..." An awkward silence followed the trailing words in which he and the girl on the bed eyed each other, both not sure how to continue. Nervously, Lincoln stuck his hands in his pockets and looked towards the ground. "...th-thanks for the hypno-thingy though, that...that did help out..." he grinned as he looked back up at her. Her unchanged expression lowered the face back down.

He knew that the nervousness was not accommodating towards the girl's demeanor, but he...he needed space. That was all. Stumbling, Lincoln made his way to the door and opened it. Doing his best to keep from looking at the confused girl, Lincoln slipped into the hall and wiped his brow. His hand remained clutched to the door-handle once it had closed, almost in an effort to pull him back in to counter his escape. But there was hardly an option left other than to continue to his room. With a stern yank he tore his hand away from the door. He probably would have gotten to his destination if a taller figure hadn't come up the steps next to him.

"Hey Lincoln!" Leni greeted, a box in her arms from the job she'd just come home from. "Like, gosh, I'm happy I ran into you. Where do you want me to put-" Lincoln's eyes became the size of dinner-plates as he clamped his hand over Leni's mouth and eyed the box. The end of his "suit"'s plastic container was poking out of the lid of it.

"You. Suit. Your room. Closet. GO," Lincoln hissed robotically. Leni's eyelids fluttered a couple of times as she processed each word. Compliant with the orders she smiled at him.

"Okay!" she nodded and turned to head to her and Lori's room. Lincoln didn't even check to see if she'd made it there before entering his own abode. With a swift toss, the door to his room closed and he slumped back against it, his hands rubbing his face. He didn't know how long he leaned there doing that, but by the time he'd slid to the floor the space around his eyes was sore from the circling of his palms. They ran along his face slower and slower until they finally eased to stillness leaving him weary. Just what exactly had happened?

One moment he'd been questioning Lucy and the next he was in his Ace Savvy outfit running with her down the halls of The Card Counter's hideout. Every so often a different forgotten image from that day had flickered through, but something had kept his searching mind on course as he pulled Lucy up out of the trap she'd activated and been dragged back through the hall by her once he'd been stuck with those darts. Oh the things he said. Throughout their trek back through the shaking hallway it had gotten harder to focus, but with some effort he had recollected just vividly enough that the ramblings and tangents from his slurred mouth had worked their way back into his forgetting brain.

But none of it came as clearly as that bit that he had been after. That pure awkward exchange of his drugged blissful state. The way Lucy stopped moving and how he'd ran his finger along her blushing cheek. The words he'd said. Wincing, Lincoln shook his head. The words themselves weren't necessarily unwelcome, but under the tone and situation that he had been in it was just weird to relive. And what if Lucy had remembered? The way she had stopped when he'd started on that declaration gave few signs of acceptance. And the words he spoke...

"...my...favorite..." Lincoln repeated under his breath. He bit the inside of his mouth to keep from speaking the rest. Even if he'd still be wondering about it, he almost wished Lucy hadn't had the means to help him remember the event. He cared about his family. That was obvious. Perhaps it'd been just because he'd been traveling with that sibling at the time that he'd said what he did. Or the drugs had just been completely warping his thoughts. No matter the excuse he came up with however he couldn't help but think about a more direct answer. Shaking his head again, Lincoln got to his feet and strode over to his bed. Maybe he really did need some sleep. At the least that would help clear his now-filled head.

Clicking off his lights, Lincoln let out a long sigh and collapsed onto his bed. With how dark it was it was likely that the moon had already come out. He shifted and turned a few times before he got into a comfortable position leaving him staring weakly at the ceiling. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, the shapes from the bumps and cracks of the ceiling began to form their vague images again as they had that morning. The scooter didn't show up, but he did see the superhero outfit. Before he had time to realize what part of the ceiling he'd shifted his eyes to afterwards, he found the lines that formed Lucy's face staring back at him. An intense blush on his face, Lincoln rolled over onto his side and wrapped his pillow around the back of his head so that each ear was covered.

In that dark huddle sleep eventually found his conflicted mind.

-end of chapter-

Yeah I've been away for a bit. Don't worry, I ain't dead or nothing. The last few months have just been kind of busy for me. For October I decided to try out that Inktober Challenge on my deviantart (warahi) and then I spent the first half of November putting together a review for Earthworm Jim on youtube (edward18517), but with both of those things out of the way I could finally get back to THIS...when I'm...not working on my other art stuff I always put up.

But yeah, I finally got back to this. Honestly when I was first doing this story I'd planned to get to the chapter after this by Halloween but, ha, yeah...yeah kind of...not going as fast as I wanted it to. But we're getting there don't worry. This story ain't over yet. It's getting a bit complicated for some of the characters and there's bound to be some big stuff happening in the story soon, but until then Lincoln'll just have to ponder on things.


	13. Royal War Z

Chapter 13: Royal War Z

A crack of thunder tore across the otherwise tranquil landscape of Royal Woods. Rain poured and winds whirled. In the opening hours of the morning the drops of water blanketed the ground beneath the town's lampposts like a ghastly mist. To those that slumbered it was an atmosphere of ferocious soothing. Of those that had awoken early however, one cackled with glee under the claps of noise that riddled the sky. It wasn't often that her streak of gleefulness was afforded the chance to be masked, and by such fitting sound effects no less. Grinning ear-to-ear, the tiny mad scientist pulled some levers on the ring-like machine she had strung up on the wall of her and her younger sister's room. As it had in the previous tests, an ominous glow oozed forth from the center of the structure's circumference until its structure was fully filled with the swirling light.

Lisa looked the thing over carefully. Though her mouth opened with the uncontrollable spout of laughter every now and then, her body drizzled with a nervous sweat. It was always the most exciting part. The experimentation phase. Already she had picked up a number of different coordinates, some even coming into being as she was making her pokes into the various ones she had been locating. With a shimmering flash, a drone with a recording device wired into it flew out from the portal and whirled to a stop in the center of the room where it took its landing on the floor. Excitedly, Lisa hopped over to it and pulled some of the wires apart. Giddy, she hooked them into her computer and scrolled through the various files that the device possessed. Movie file after movie file flew by, each one containing vaguely familiar paths and and structures within them, but only vaguely. Of the drones that had been dispatched thus far, most had come back with very similar recordings, but here or there something would always be off. Sometimes it'd be different houses, other times it'd be different skin colors, but they'd all have the same general "shape" to their structures and dynamics.

"Fascinating..." Lisa commented in her latest viewing, saliva filling her speech, "All of them are animals...and he's STILL the only boy? How is that even possible after making THAT many offspring?"

"Goo goo?" a younger voice interjected with delighted confusion.

"Yes, he is! And there's like three or four times as many sisters in that one!" Lisa gawked while the footage played out further. Whether or not she even got through the family of rabbits she had no idea. Eventually the footage just became too monotonous as the camera had cycled through the endless supply of siblings from that setting. Pausing the feed, Lisa let out a sigh and skittered back over to the terminal that the portal was connected to. She had dabbled in multiversal tinkerings before, but never had she gotten such a stable connection through the hypotheses that had been presumed. What's more important was that her device's primary feature actually seemed to be working. Lisa focused as she tapped a few sequences into the terminal causing the gate to glow for a moment.

"Assuming my theories have been correct about this whole setup, various different realities are coming into existence constantly through whatever branching means that cause them to form," Lisa explained to her younger roommate. Lily just watched the light on the room's wall happily. "And, if this gateway is doing as I have intended it to, it's feeding back the coordinates to each one as they appear. We can get a real-time update to this nigh-infinite web of expanding universes," Lisa continued. As she looked over the drone on the ground she looked slightly downcast. "I just wish I had better equipment with which to investigate these places. I'd go myself but...well it's always best to get some "help" for the more...drastic test-runs," she murmured, "I mean we don't know just yet what the portal's effects might have on living tissue. It's much safer for something to go wrong with others. I can always fix them back up. Not as much of a chance of doing that to myself depending on what all happens..."

Lisa's mouth pushed towards the side of her face in annoyance. She had to give her full effort not to just dash through the portal sometimes. True, there was likely nothing that would happen from making the journey, at least not from the portal itself, but until she had a way to fully test that aspect she had to remain reserved in her actions. After all, she'd used the last of her test mice a few weeks back in an intelligence-heightening experiment, a dilemma that had resulted in an all-out war against her and her family from the mentally-endowed critters. That had earned the refusal of the animals from pretty much the entire household for a generous length of time. If a younger sibling had her way however she wouldn't have needed another test subject. Lisa sprang to life upon seeing Lily, free from her crib, crawling towards the portal, delight on her drooling face.

"No no!" Lisa cried as she leaped at the baby. It didn't take much to restrain her, but the tike wasn't letting up without a struggle. Grunting and groaning, Lisa pulled Lily back to her crib and thrust her in. Lily glared at the captor from behind the bars of her prison but Lisa just gave her the same expression. "Do you have any idea what our parents would do if they found out you'd been vaporized or gotten superpowers or whatever else might happen from that?" Lisa hissed, "I already am not allowed to use the mice for now, I don't need babies marked off the menu as well!" Lily's eyes only narrowed while Lisa turned back to the portal and put a hand on her head. "...but where could I find a viable candidate?..."

* * *

By the time that the rest of the Louds had emerged from their slumber the downpour in the world outside had dampened to only a mild drenching. As water swam down the windows, the blurred figures within the house rushed around, busying themselves with their preparations for the day. Lynn hurtled through the halls as she went through her exercises for practicing whatever various sports she'd might be sloshing around the muddy field playing. Lori busily showed off the stuffed parrot that she'd gotten for the boy that she was talking with on her video feed, something that Bobby's feathery roommate apparently wasn't too keen on given the squawking, while Leni searched around for their brother in the hallway, seeming a bit concerned about discussing something with him.

The interest might have caught the attention of Lana if she hadn't been trying to make her way towards the line at the bathroom that Luan held the head of, a struggle made possible by the recovering limbs from the battle against her twin the day before. Even in self-reparation they competed as they approached the hallowed chamber at the end of the hall as Luan popped jokes at their pitiable race. Leni called for the boy of the household again as she passed by the other middle children's room. Had she been more observant she might have seen the boy peek out from the crack in the door of the twin's bedroom, but she eventually gave in to the need to stamp her place in the line at the bathroom so that she wouldn't find herself even further behind in its use.

In the dim light that poured through the crack in the twin's door, Lincoln pressed his back against their wall and looked towards the ceiling. The departing night had not been an easy one. The one from the day before had been no sawing-logs, but he almost wished that he'd had the irritable rest from that night in place what he could remember of the surreal dreams that his tainted mind had forced him through. He sighed as he dwelt on the mental glimpses he could grasp. Some had been relatively mild while others had been absolutely exaggerated in their uncomfortableness. But all of them had contained that black-haired youngster that he'd wished so hard for the sleep to expunge from his subconscious. But it'd only made the focus greater.

Under such a warped state of mind, discussions about the outfit that he'd had Leni hide for him were the last thing he wanted to deal with. But like with everyone else he too had need for the restroom. Peeking through the crack in the door he cursed as he saw the taller blond girl standing directly at the back of the line where he'd have to take up his residence. Knowing he couldn't risk a conversation with her loose mouth, Lincoln peered around a couple of times and pulled the door open just enough to slip out into the open. Tip toeing, he looked back over his shoulder every now and then to make sure that Leni wouldn't spot him. The only option he truly had was to wait out the line in the privacy of his room. As his hand touched the knob of its door however a voice spoke to him.

"Lincoln, there you are," an emotionless tone said from behind him. He had to twist his the features of his face to keep from crying out in alarm at the sudden noise. His arms acting on their own, the pulled the door open and slammed it as he darted inside. His heart had flown up into his throat with how fast it had started beating. Panting, he put a hand to his chest and slumped back against his door. Once he'd had time to think through what he'd just done he hung his head. That was just what he needed. To come off as even more suspicious. And to HER of all people. The one that he'd been doing his best to even back out into a stable viewing of. Surely bolting away from her hadn't increased the chances of normality he'd have with her.

He'd done everything he could that morning to calm himself back into casualness. After all, it was just his sister, and with the position he was meant to fill there was no doubt that some weirdness must have been building up from his efforts to viably perform that position's purpose. That's the conclusion that he had come to in the meditations of his rather jittered sleep patterns throughout the night and early morning. It wouldn't fully dispense with the occasional awkwardness that he might feel from the younger girl, but it did help bring his mentality back to a more grounded, and hopefully interactive, level. What would she think though after having the door just shut in her face? Lincoln wouldn't have to wait long to receive a sample of the attitude she had.

"Are you okay?" the voice that had been behind him in the hall asked. Having no one else around, at least that he'd known of until that instant, Lincoln yelped and opened his eyes to see Lucy standing right in front of him. He wished there was a way to reach into his chest and physically pull his respiratory organs back into place. The sight of his sister, once his chances of having a heart-attack had waned, was more copeable than he'd thought it might be, but not more than he'd hoped. Leaving aside the expected impossibility of her just materializing wherever she wanted to, her drooping bangs and pale face painted a visage of unnerving concern. The sympathy towards him was a care he hadn't been prepared for.

"Uh-wh-what?" Lincoln stuttered through a nervous gulp. His eyelids rose as Lucy's face came closer.

"What do you mean what?" she asked, "Ever since last night you've been acting weird. Scrambling out of my room, exclaiming quiet one-word phrases at Leni in the hall, running away from me just now." Lincoln's eyes lifted up towards his head as she listed off the accusations. "Clearly the hypnotism had some sort of effect on you," she reasoned, "Please Lincoln, what's wrong? Edwin's been wondering about you all night, and he's never going to let me die it down if it got botched up." The boy blinked the confusion out of his eyes.

"Edwin? What's he-"

"That's beside the point," Lucy cut him off as quickly as she could. The question was completely forgotten as the girl wrapped her arms around him and pressed her cheek against his neck. "I don't want to get your hurt or anything," she said quietly, "you're the one in the family that-..." It was hard to focus under the blush that his face had become drenched in, but Lincoln did notice the trailing sentence. "That...you...um..." Lucy murmured. Her hands were the only things to remain on him as she loosely slipped away, her grip sliding to his own hands keeping her from falling back entirely. Scratching the back of her head with one, she coughed. "You...actually do stuff with me and...you know...sigh...look, I just don't want to hurt the one I get along with...this much..." Lincoln held her hands in his as he stared down at her equally reddened face. In part the two wanted to look away from each other, but something in the backs of their minds made the understood mutuality of the nervousness clear to them. "...and I still need you for the dance," Lucy mumbled finally willing herself to look downwards instead of at his prying eyes. Smiling half-heartedly, Lincoln looked towards the ground himself and sighed.

"Lucy it's...d-don't worry about it...it's just...I've never had that hypnotism stuff done to me...it's just...shock and stuff is all..." he lied. Lucy peered back up at him. She wanted to believe him, but he still hadn't recovered from the procedure? Even after the entire night he was still jumpy at even the figure of the person that'd performed it on him?

"But-"

"I said don't worry about it," he repeated, this time ruffling her hair and increasing her blush, "now we gotta go get ready!" Though thankful to be done with the unusual exchange, Lucy's head swam with uncertainty. Seeing the open door in front of her once she'd regained her vision, it also filled with discontent. Lincoln had slipped away from her again, albeit more naturally than he had ever since their time together the night before. But he wasn't wrong with the looming threat of school. Tucked away in his next hiding place however, Lincoln was staying true to his declaration. By recovering from his latest encounter with the dreary female. His heart beat with energy under his chest, though not nearly as frantically as it had been in his previous meeting. Be it exposure to the feared presence or having had a chance to talk some things over, he truly had started to regain some composure about his internal dilemma.

Praying that Lucy would just reserve herself a place in line at the bathroom, Lincoln put a hand to his chest and opened his eyes as his back left the surface of the door to the room he'd slid into and shut. Hearing some giggles, he smirked at Lily and waved. She waved back and pointed. Curious as to the glow lighting parts of her face, Lincoln approached the dinosaur-skeleton wielding infant to see a vortex of swirling colors painting the wall across from her, her slightly older sister lost in her typings on the terminal at the side of the device it emanated from.

"Confounded drones!" Lisa spat as she punched the screen on the terminal, "I outfitted you with a personalized micron-shielding component and you can't even withstand a tiny thermonuclear storm? At least send the pictures back without the white-noise you piece of garbage!"

"Lincoln, why are you-"

"AHHH!" the three other children screamed at the black-haired girl that had somehow gotten into the room and stepped up next to the male one. Lily had fallen over backwards in her crib in fright while Lisa looked back and forth between the two older intruders as the eldest backed up a few steps. Lincoln had grown more steady in his standing under Lucy's acknowledgment, but some nerves stilled remained shot, especially with such a frequent reunion.

"Sorry," Lucy apologized to the room with a bow before focusing on Lincoln again, "I was just wondering why you came in here-"

"How-you-what-I just-where did-" Lincoln sputtered alongside the motions his hand tried to illustrate for the passing thoughts. Realizing his confusion at her presence, Lucy rolled her eyes, though to the onlookers it just looked like her hair flopped around.

"You have to do better than that to get away," Lucy told him, "you obviously weren't in line, and this room's one of the few before I'd have gotten there. You wouldn't have had much time to get into many others." Lincoln stared into space and slapped his forehead. Lucy put an arm behind her back and rubbed the other bashfully. "Look I...sigh, I just wanted to say...you know that I'll listen to what you want to say right? If you have anything bothering you, I-blah blah blah...blah blah...blippity blah...bligh..."

"Lucy, I blah blah. You blah...blah bloo..."

"Lincbluh blah blah."

"Blah blah blah."

As the two older children droned on about whatever meaningless drivel they were discussing, Lisa rubbed her chin. Out of everyone in the household, perhaps the most dependable member was standing right in her room. Looking the boy top to bottom, a wide grin began to form across her face. After all, she had been needing to get a proper specimen to test the device out, and it wouldn't take more than a few minutes at most. Noticing the expression on her face, Lily gave the thinking child a suspicious glower from where she watched in her crib as her roommate approached them.

"Really Lucy, it's nothing to worry about...yeah it had to do with the hypnotism but I'm FINE. Tell Edwin to stop worry and-"

"Oh dearest brother, might I inquire upon some assistance by chance?" a more spitting voice interrupted. Lucy and Lincoln looked down to see Lisa next to them.

"Help?" Lincoln asked. Grinning, Lisa nodded. "Lisa, if you've forgotten the dinitrotoluene again-"

"No-no-no!" she chuckled. Pittering back over to the terminal at the device she grabbed a phone-like device. "No, this has nothing to do with my usual fare of exercises," she informed them as she journeyed back over, "Normally I wouldn't even ask for help from someone of such intelligence when journeying into this delicate of a new endeavor, but I absolutely must get information of the travels that can be made with a human body, and since, well, I have a ready one here..." Lincoln cocked his head back some at the train of thought that the young scientist presented. Surprising himself, he looked to Lucy for input, but she herself had been caught off-guard by the odd proposition. About the only one with a truly negative reaction was the infant, who had taken to glaring at the scheming girl.

Lincoln shook his head. He already had his dealings with Lucy going on and now the tinkerer of the house wanted to wrap him up in her antics? Thinking back to the mishaps with her previous inventions he winced. Granted the latest had nothing to do with her handling of them, but even so they had been no easy trials to overcome. He knew full well the, potentially lethal, hardships that could come with the accidents of her endeavors, and she was asking if he would just willing participate in one. Was he ready for that? Would his mind even humor the idea while he already had what he did on his plate? The answer was likely a firm "no".

"Lisa...can't this wait until later? We gotta get ready for school..." Lincoln grumbled trying to excuse himself. The small child put on the best lower-lip that she could as she dashed over and hugged his leg.

"Please Lincoln! It's for science! SCIENCE!" Lisa cried. Wildly Lincoln tried to shake the clinging munchkin off, but to no avail. She stuck to the appendage like superglue. As Lincoln proceeded to hop around the room on one foot Lucy's eyes caught sight of something that his struggle skipped by. It was shadowed and tucked away beneath a bed, but Lucy could make it out clear as day. A large book. Her book. Or rather, Great Grandma Harriet's old spellbook. But that had been in the attic. Lucy had that confirmed now. So how then was it also in the youngest siblings' room? As she thought of the, probably impossible, explanations, Lincoln's hopping lap around the room jolted to a stop and he attempted to yank the short girl off of his leg.

"Alright fine!" he yelled grunting as he hit his hands onto his hips and glared down at her. In an instant Lisa's distraught face sprung to life with a gleeful grin. She practically threw the phone-like device into his hands and started pushing him towards the portal.

"Now you just need to use that to record some footage of where you end up," Lisa told him. The closer that Lincoln got to the humming portal, the more the heels of his feet ground into the floor in protest.

"Hold it, hold it, HOLD IT!" he yelped as he managed to get a good enough grip in the floor to scrape to a halt. Lisa looked up at his back and blinked. "You aren't just going to throw me in there are ya? What even is this thing?"

"Of course I'm not," Lisa scoffed. Lincoln fell backwards as she let go of him and scurried over to the control panel at the terminal on the portal's side. "I need to set the coordinates first. I was just getting you into position for departure was all," she told him while Lucy helped him back to his feet.

"Departure to where?" he muttered as he rubbed his butt.

"To another universe," Lisa replied. After a few more clicks of her fingers into the keyboard of the console it beeped at her, "Ah there we go."

"Another universe?" Lincoln almost gulped. It may have been a dream but he did not want a repeat of the memories of his own "universe hopping". Had he seriously agreed to this? On a school-morning? Lucy could see the tension building in his face. However fantastic the notion was, he was not enjoying its premise.

"Indeed," Lisa nodded. A couple of more clicks and the portal flashed into a different hue of light causing the two at its base to take a step back. "I've experimented with such subjects before, but this machine allows me to see new realities as they come into existence, and with their discovery, I've also been able to find the proper means to tear into the interior of their realms. But, with this device at least, I haven't yet tested any organic subjects for data collecting. And it'd just be easier to keep all of the locating and traveling contained to this one device rather than having to cobble together another one to go along with it for proper travel." Lincoln looked down at the recording-device in his hand and sighed.

"...so I just walk through, take some pictures-"

"Video."

"-videos, and leave?" Lincoln asked. Happily, Lisa nodded from her terminal. Lincoln looked up at the portal and shook his head. As he began to step however he felt something grip his arm.

"I'm going with him," Lucy said pulling him back to her side. The declaration sent a startled look to her from the boy, but a nervous smile from her dipped it towards a more questioning glance. "I can't exactly chance you getting stranded in some other universe before the dance ya know," she said quietly. Lincoln gave her a bemused smirk while Lisa put a finger to her mouth.

"Even better," she shrugged at the new volunteer, "it'd definitely be handy to have backup in case something happens to him." Lincoln gave her a suspicious glance.

"Something like what?" he asked.

"Let us not dawdle on the possibilities. Now is the time for progress my rats-s-s-affiliates!" Lisa proclaimed. Dismissing the trivial concerns that the subjects had about their well-being, Lisa motioned the two forward. Lincoln and Lucy eyed each other and let out a verbal "sigh".

"This better just be a minute," Lincoln grumbled.

"At least if anything happens I'll be there to help you into the coffin," Lucy assured him. The older boy rolled his eyes at her grin.

"Unless it just destroys both of us when we step through," he proposed.

"Then I'll at least have company when I haunt her," Lucy joked laying her head on his shoulder.

"The dismal fate does provide some activities to look forward to I suppose," Lincoln agreed in a dull, yet amusing tone which made the girl's smile get smaller with the heat it spread onto her. Though Lincoln inched his head away from her's slightly, he couldn't help but feel some pride at the successful flirt. At least he was still viable for the role he was supposed to fill even with the iffiness that had been trying to strangle him throughout the night. The touched expression to the quip didn't feel nearly as discomforting as it would have a half-hour earlier.

"Sometime before school if you don't mind," Lisa commented from her terminal. Jumping at the voice, Lincoln and Lucy straightened themselves back out. The sentences had just worked so well off of each other that their current audience had started to fade into the background. Lincoln coughed a couple of times while Lucy brushed off the front of her dress. Though wary on if they should do so, Lincoln allowed Lucy's hand to grip his as she prepared to march. Lincoln however had one last question.

"We're going someplace that's not like...mega-dangerous or anything right?" he asked. Lucy looked up at him for a moment as the question passed through her head and caused her to look towards the young scientist. It was a rather justified inquiry with the types of schemes she liked to orchestrate.

"What? Of course it's not dangerous!" Lisa assured them. Somewhat annoyed with the stalling, she hopped away from the terminal and walked closer to them, "it's just a universe that one of the drones showed as having grass made of macaroni and rivers made of liquid chocolate." Unseen by the boy, Lucy's mouth dipped into an "O" at the bottom of her face. Lincoln had to admit, it did sound interesting.

"And you're sure this isn't going to hurt-"

"Absolutely, it's fine," an answer came, though from the girl that was holding his hand rather than the one that'd been talking to him. Lincoln gave her a confused gape. He thought she'd been more hesitant, but suddenly she'd been onboard with it? Lisa was pleased with the turn though. Whatever got them through the portal faster was acceptable to her. From her crib, Lily reached for the two older siblings, both out of envy for the supposed treats and fear of what the giant swirly wall might do to them.

"Lucy, are you sure?" Lincoln asked quietly.

"Of course," she said, not even looking at him, "the more time we waste the less chocolate we'll have to relax any before we have to leave for school." Lincoln blinked at her a few times before lowering his eyelids. It took a few seconds, but, realizing the mistake she'd made, Lucy started again. "The less CHANCE we'll have to relax any before school..." The blatant correction only flattened Lincoln's face further. Hoping to ease the reaction to the priorities, Lucy put on an innocent grin. Lincoln just shook his head and tugged at her hand as he started to walk. Unbeknownst to the group, the smallest member in the dwelling had successfully climbed over the railing of the crib and dropped to the ground below where she started hobbling towards the exiting duo. As they vanished into the dizzying colors ahead, Lily increased her speed.

"Bah! Ba ba buh!" she cried. The color-whirlpool-monster had eaten them! Lisa had successfully tricked them into its mouth with snacks! And she wouldn't even let her try to rescue them! Just as Lily had gotten within five feet of the portal, her roommate, having spotted the speeding baby, had tackled her to the side. "Ga ga poo poo!" Lily cried as she fought to free herself from the mad scientist's clutches. But it was no use! Lisa's toddler arms were just too strong!

"Lily! We've gone over this! You don't go in there!" Lisa lectured.

"Gyah ga! GYAH GA!" she whined pointing at the portal. Lisa growled as she got back to her feet. She really needed to develop a proper security system for that crib. Having followed the trail of the younger Loud's finger to the portal in her absent-mindness however, she did notice a cause for alarm, though not for what the infant might have been conflicted by. The portal had started...glitching. Every few seconds it would tear and distort into an array of static. Looking to the ground, Lisa realized what must have been the cause of the error. In her clamor to restrain Lily, her foot had hit the space-guidance-module for the portal and torn it from its position. Her pupils shrunk and Lisa practically threw Lily into the crib before diving to the ground at its socket.

Whether or not she had figured out how to get it back into place before too much damage had been done, it wouldn't have mattered. Within the glowing aisle of light that the older siblings had disappeared into they had felt something. Ripples. At first it had been a normal stroll into the blinding tunnel, but as their eyes adjusted it had become more manageable to traverse, almost pleasant even. There had been a calming warmth to it that neither had been ready for but that they were more than welcoming towards. But suddenly a chill had washed across them. It had only been for a moment at first, but another wave had caused their bodies to tense up and they'd looked at each other, each with an unspoken worry on their tongues.

Squeezing each others' hands for reassurance, they continued, but as more ripples vibrated through them they found it becoming increasingly more difficult to the point that they had had to almost stop entirely in their journey. Even without the commotion it had been taking longer than either had expected. In their near-stillness though they had noticed something. They were still moving. Or rather...the tunnel was. Looking around them they could see the streams of light swimming by them faster and the strange air that the tunnel began turning into a wind. Their walk came to a stop entirely as Lucy jerked her feet to a halt. Lincoln gave her a worried look but only received one back when she pointed to the hand she wasn't holding.

Looking to his free one, Lincoln's eyes bulged. It was coming apart! His hand was disintegrating! Not only that, but his arm as well! The decomposition was spreading across his figure like an infection! Realizing the danger he looked to the shocked girl at his side to see what he had feared. She too had begun coming apart! Once he had directed her gaze to her own body the two shared a brief moment of awe before turning and darting back as fast as possible in the opposite direction. But the view of Lisa's room was nowhere to be seen! For all they could tell they were trapped in the destructive tunnel of light. As the bits of them that broke off were sucked into the direction that the wind was picking up speed from, Lincoln wrapped his arms around Lucy, an embrace that she joined in once she realized the futility of their escape. She had at least expected to get to the world they were traveling to before they met their end. How was she supposed to haunt anything within that illuminating void?

The wind became a tornado of a current and its force impacted their movement. Or rather, it rushed past their movement. Somehow or another they were being pushed through the current. But it wasn't their bodies. It wasn't them anymore. No, who they were, their selves and atoms, they were flying down the corridor. Their bodies, if they could even be called that at that point, soared in a speckled trail across the space between space. They whirled through the empty roaring air passing by objects and shapes of all manners and indescribable forms. They flowed through each other. And in the distance, what there was of their senses could make out an opening at the end of the tunnel.

* * *

"And I thought Leni took long in there..." Lola murmured under her breath as Lynn emerged from the bathroom and walked by, a relieved smile adorning her face.

"But I haven't even gone in yet," the older girl pouted behind the twins.

"She's talkin' about how long ya normally take airhead," Lynn informed her on the way to her room. The blond girl's mouth hung towards the bottom of her face as the young jock disappeared behind her door. Seeing the mistreatment of the older girl, Lola, in a rare show of decency, caved towards some sympathy for her.

"Relax deary, she's always rude," Lola told her.

"Huh?" Leni murmured. She had to think for a few seconds longer than the others would have to understand what she was referring to. "Oh...yeah I'm used to that," she shrugged, "I just don't understand why I don't jump higher than others with how often people call me that." Lola's look of sympathy became one of confusion as she stared at the contemplating teenager.

"Wait, if you're okay with her saying that then why'd you look so down?" she asked. Figuring that the mysteries to her lack of buoyancy could wait til later, she gave the younger blond a dejected look.

"I was just wondering where Lincoln is..." Leni sighed, "I haven't got a chance to ask him about the suit since yesterday." At the mention of the boy's name, Lana allowed a shared glance with her twin. Now she had some investment.

"Suit?" she asked. Leni put a hand over her mouth and looked around to see if anyone else had heard her. Detecting no input from the zero other people in the hall aside from them, she bent down next to the twins.

"Yeah, him and Lucy were at Reininger's yesterday and asked me to hide a suit that they bought. It's supposed to be a secret though so make sure you don't tell anyone," Leni whispered. Completely baffled by the strange reveal, Lola's eyes rolled back and forth across the top of her head in search of logic for the claim. Finding none she turned her attention to her look-a-like who, at the realization of her focus, threw her arms out towards Leni's face and gave Lola an accusing expression with as wide of eyes as she could muster. Scoffing at the implications of her twin's paranoia, Lola rolled her eyes. Thinking on it a moment however, she dared another peek at Lana who added a foot-stomp to her presentation of the informant.

"Ugh, fine. It's weird, but that doesn't mean I'm going to join in on your little tin-foil-hat sessions," she sneered at the less refined child.

"Tin foil hats? What kind of fashion mags have you two been reading?" Leni asked, worry filling her voice at hearing of the scalding clothing-choice.

"Besides, it's just some suit they got. Who knows what it's for?" Lola murmured. Lana couldn't believe how much her sister refused to acknowledge the bizarre nature of their older brother and sister.

"Probably this girl," she said jabbing a thumb into Leni's cheek. Realizing she'd hit the face, Lana pulled her thumb back but Leni hadn't seemed to have noticed. "What'd those two want a suit for?" she asked the older girl. Leni was about to respond but put a hand over her mouth.

"Gosh you guys, they said I was supposed to keep it a secret..." Leni said, more to remind herself than to let them know.

"Come on Len-"

"I got this," Lola said putting her arm out in front of her twin, "Leni, I already heard Lincoln talking with Lucy about it earlier. Just didn't know if I'd heard them right or not."

"You did?" Leni gasped. Lola nodded. Lana just watched in surprise. Was Lola actually...helping?

"Absolutely deary. They'd noticed that I'd heard them talking so they asked me, if they didn't get the chance, to talk things over with you," Lola explained carefully. Leni listened intently to the newfound ally. "Seeing as I didn't know what they were talking about back then though, would you be a doll and let me know what they got the thing for?" she requested fluttering her eyelids.

"Oh, well sure!" Leni said excitedly, "They said they needed it for some Play about Martians at a club at school!" Lola's eyes squinted from the supposed background information while Lana looked to the ceiling trying to figure out just where aliens worked into the whole scheme of things. As they contemplated the puzzle to the components the bathroom door opened, a prompt that would normally garner a frenzy of bodies and limbs clamoring across each other to try and get into it first. What Luan was greeted with however was two of her sisters lost in thought with the tallest of the trio staring blankly into space. In her delayed frame of mind, Leni eventually realized the obvious.

"Oh, the bathroom's open," she blurted. Seeing as how neither girl in front of her had moved she simply strolled by the two young blonds who only realized the fact as she stepped into the room beyond. Once she'd locked the door their bodies hit it with a loud "thunk".

"Boy, you guys really are a dynamic "duo"!" Luan laughed. Lola and Lana groaned, their bodies' aches only heightened by the sibling they'd been left with. "Don't worry. You'll get your turns as long as you don't "stall" next time! " Lola and Lana glared at each other as the older girl laughed. Being sure to fix her tiara, Lola got back to her feet and brushed off her dress.

"NOW do you see?" Lana growled as she got back up herself.

"Honestly deary, no, I don't," Lola replied with disinterest as she closed her eyes and turned to the door. Lana gaped at her. After their whole conversation with Leni she was still feigning ignorance?

"What do you mean you don't?!" Lana yelled, "She just said-"

"That a suit had to do with a play about Martians involving him and her," Lola reminded, her pupils peering through the cracks in her eyelids, "what exactly am I supposed to take away from that baffled mess of an explanation?" Lana puffed out her cheeks, her face red. Was there NO winning her over? Sure, it had been...not that logical of a revelation, but it had still been Lincoln and Lucy! They had done something weird together. AGAIN! Inwardly Lana cursed herself for not having followed them when they were in the mall. She wasn't quite sure what Mars had to do with anything, but she did know suspiciousness when she heard it. And Lola was just turning a blind eye to it when it was looking her directly in the face!

"Come on! You were just now getting the information out of her! Why've you gone back to not caring?" Lana whined.

"Because that was a secret," Lola said flicking her hair at her, "and secrets shouldn't be kept from me." Lana clenched her teeth together in anger.

"But Lucy and Lincoln-"

"Are getting ready just like everyone else," Lola finished. Lana felt like ripping the girl's arms off. As if it wasn't bad enough that her own twin wouldn't get involved, now she was teasing it by helping out for a moment! But perhaps there would be a way to renew the interest. After all, Leni had apparently not been able to find the children in question. How was Lola to know if they were getting ready or not?

"Hey Lynn!" Lana yelled causing Lola to jump.

"Sup?" the sports-nut replied as she popped her head out from her doorway. Lola glowered at Lana as she readjusted her tiara again.

"Is Lucy in there?" Lana asked shooting a smirk to Lola which the more "dignified" twin turned her nose up at.

"Nah. Haven't seen the princess of darkness since I got up," Lynn shrugged. After thinking on that fact for a few seconds her brows lowered and she gave the younger girl a skeptical look. Luan also seemed to be a bit distressed by the news.

"She's probably hanging out in the vents or some crap," Lola said rolling her eyes. The gesture was repeated by Lana before she returned her attention to Lynn.

"And can you get Lincoln out here? He's usually not THAT late of a sleeper," Lana requested. Lynn's thinning eyes slid towards the middle-child's room. Part of her didn't want to check on the offchance that he might actually be absent. She'd finally been able to take some proper rest the past two nights. It had been a luxury allowed by the ease that came from not having to focus on the worry lurking beneath the mysterious undertakings of their brother and black-haired sister. But she knew she had to check, if for nothing else than curiosity's sake. And would she be able to live with herself if she'd thrown away an opportunity to save the rest of the town from whatever forbidden evils those two might be conspiring to spread?

Sighing quietly, Lynn walked over to the door. The three standing in line at the bathroom, though Lola wouldn't admit it, watched in anticipation as the handle of the door at the opposite end of the hall turned in her grasp and creaked open. Even Lola felt suspense crawling across her skin with how long the brown-haired girl had her head inside the opening of the door.

"...Stinkin?" they eventually heard her call. The spell of silence that followed made Luan's heart dip a bit. Lola may have still clung to the hope that he was just well-covered or had fallen out of bed or something, but the legitimacy of those excuses were fading fast. "Yo! Linc! Where are ya?" Lynn called into the room a bit more loudly. When no response came again, Lynn pulled her head out and gave Lana a concerned stare. The younger girl nodded ominously. Lola felt a heat flush across her face as her twin's pupils slid over to her.

"So they're both...missing...s-so...so what?..." Lola mumbled folding her arms over her chest.

"I'll take the vents, you search the basement," Lana told Lynn. The older girl nodded and they headed off in different directions leaving a denial-ridden pageant-queen grumbling to herself.

* * *

In one bright flash the morning sky tore open. The quiet tranquil landscape of the Royal Woods neighborhood erupted into a gust of wind and energy as the column of force that ejected from it blasted into one of the front yards of the block and with it the various particles and molecules that rode upon its path. As the collection of disintegrated individuals neared the ground they began to reform and upon their reconstitution the black-haired girl and white-haired boy slammed face-first into the ground, their bodies digging a trail through the dirt and grass. Had an onlooker seen them they might have thought they'd have been killed from the impact. As the seconds drew on however, they began to stir. By the time Lincoln had pulled his head out of his crater the chaotic portal he'd been ejected from had sealed up and dizzily he looked around. The first thing he noticed was Lucy who, herself, was trying to readjust her senses. He began to crawl over to her but only made it about three feet.

"Ugh...that...that was...MMHGFHF!" he managed to grunt before grabbing his mouth. Unable to stop himself he turned to the side and threw up. "Ughhh...oh god..I...GFF!" Lucy looked away as she sensed the next upchuck but as she did the twist in her body ignited her own. In agony she clutched her stomach from the violent expulsion and the readied herself for the next one. For about a minute the two lay in the yard dispensing their bodies of the jumbled mess that the travel had made of whatever they had left to digest from the day before. Once they'd finally stopped Lincoln tried to heave a few more times to make sure that it was over.

It was as if he'd been on the most sickening roller coaster ever, only it'd also drained him of his energy. Groaning, he crawled over to the nearby wall of the house that they had crashed next to where Lucy, who had elected to try and just keep down whatever remained in her stomach, joined him shortly after. For what felt like half an hour they lay there slouched against each other, both exhaling away from the other whenever they opened their mouths. In the silence their minds fell into thought upon thought once the sickness had passed. Where they were, what had happened, what time it was, amongst whatever other curiosities preyed upon their recovering subconscious. In the stewing nursing, neither of them paid mind to the welcome touch of the others' body.

"...Lincoln...when we...get back home...remind me to find my voodoo doll of Lisa..." Lucy eventually muttered. The older boy didn't even have the energy to muster resentment towards the statement.

"You want me to look for dad's butcher-knife too?" he offered. A dark smile formed along Lucy's lips.

"Nice choice..." she complimented. Lincoln joined in the cunning smirk. Figuring that they had stayed where they were for long enough, he put his hands against the wall behind him and pushed himself to his feet. The task was easier in his head than once his limbs had actually started to move, their joints stabbed with knives of aching. It didn't hurt as bad as their culprit's Assistant Bot had, but god if it wasn't an annoying sting. Knowing the irritation that awaited her, Lincoln held his hands out to pull the girl next to him up as well. Once she stood erect she fell forward into him from the sudden settling of her position. She hadn't expected the irks in her bones nor the weariness of her form. Still recovering, Lincoln ran his fingers along the back of her head allowing her to nuzzle into his chest. In light of the vicious entry they'd made into whatever world they'd been sent to their previous awkwardness seemed to evaporate. There were more important issues at hand.

Not only weren't they confused about wherever they'd ended up, but something must have gone wrong. He could feel it. Lincoln was sure that their walk through that tunnel wasn't supposed to be interrupted by being torn apart and swept through it. But that had happened, and by whatever miracle they'd survived the disassembly, even if their stomachs hadn't appreciated it. But just where had they ended up? Finally taking a proper look around, the terrain began to fall into place in the boy's head and he was overcome by an uncomfortable sense of remembrance.

"...you...might not have to wait til we get back to our world to get your doll..." Lincoln murmured. Lucy looked up at him in confusion. As Lincoln moved his body to push her's into view of the sights, she too saw what had prompted the claim. Not only was the yard familiar, if a bit overgrown, but from where they stood against the wall of the house they were at they could see another house in front of them. Mr. Grouse's house. After taking a moment to look at each other, Lucy and Lincoln turned their heads to the one behind them and their eyes trailed upwards. They were standing right in front of their home.

It took some time before their sight lowered back to each other, but when it did they looked to the front door. It was odd. In all their time since their arrival they had not seen a single person. Not a soul wandered the street nor a dog barked in the distance. Even the rowdiness of their own home was at a standstill. Somewhat cautiously they approached the entrance and turned the handle. It wobbled loose as though Lana hadn't tightened it in ages. The weakness only showed further as it popped off the door and bounced along the ground a few seconds later. Lucy and Lincoln eyed each other and peered into the crack that the door had obtained in its creak from the fiddling. It was hard to see at first, but within they could make out shapes. The couch, the stairs, the television. Everything looked to be present...except for the inhabitants.

Lincoln had his reservations, but contrary to the oddness of the outside world, their own abode, no matter how quiet, still seemed inviting on some level. But he was no idiot. Delicately he grabbed Lucy's hand and slipped through the crack, his feet springing him along in a silent stride. Noticing how they were moving, Lucy joined in on the quiet movements and took the lead directing him over towards the fireplace. With her experience in lurking she knew all the best places from which to observe and she knew nobody ever checked the fireplace. Lincoln didn't dare let out a sound even if the sudden tug into the cramped quarters surprised him. For Lucy it was a natural fit. Her body instantly melded into position, but for Lincoln it was less common territory, and rather...awkward territory with how claustrophobic it was for one person, let alone two.

Lincoln bent and fidgeted around however he could, but no matter the position he always seemed to press up against the other resident in a rough manner. Lucy hadn't realized how the space would be utilized until the unexpected rubs began, but, though her cheeks warmed, the friction felt easing in the ominous environment. Lincoln's trials were obvious however, and Lucy attempted to reconstruct her own position which only increased the bizarre game of twister Lincoln had been playing. The boy though seemed to take it as an invitation towards how he should settle and figured that if it were appropriate, he didn't have much choice other than to accommodate the position. Lucy felt her mouth lift towards her nose as Lincoln's arms settled into place around her body from behind and his legs slid onto either side of her's. Her nose twitched as his pressed into the hair at the top of her head from which his perched to gaze out into the darkened corners of their living room.

Lucy would have joined the watch if her pupils hadn't stopped focusing on the world they looked at. Though they continued to gaze forward, their sense of acuteness had been lost to the squeeze of the body around her. Even on death's cold doorstep she hated huddling, but from the way her cradle had draped over her it gave a sense of support, and in such an unknown environment her tensed body craved it. Hardly thinking on it, Lucy wriggled deeper into the embrace. The rustle of their clothes against each other was barely audible, but Lincoln's coloring reacted more to the passing of the cloth across his skin than to the noise of it. He spared a look down at the girl under him but soon returned his attention to the main part of the room. He should have known better than to divert his analysis. But as the minutes passed so too did the alertness. No matter how quiet they were nor how intently he listened, Lincoln and Lucy, once her mind had settled back into the perceived effort, couldn't hear anything. Not a peep or creak from anywhere. The two stayed holed within their cramped dwelling for what felt like ten minutes until a final shuffle from the body beneath his goaded Lincoln's exit from the fireplace.

It's not that he didn't enjoy the snuggle, but with what stuck in his mind of their time as Ace and Eight made the pressure just uneasy enough that it'd been the push he'd needed to give a more interactive investigation. After all, they weren't making much progress staying cooped up in that little hole in the wall. Lincoln stayed as quiet as he could at the spot behind the couch that he'd rolled to, though his movements moved more carelessly than when they'd entered due to the lack of noise that they'd encountered. That's probably what made his call come as quickly as it did.

"Hey Lynn! Dad's making meatball subs!" he yelled. The words still echoed through the halls as Lincoln dove back into the fireplace, Lucy's limbs wrapping around his body as he rolled to the back of it. Yeah...after such potential stupidity he didn't mind the returning tense embrace. But, as predicted, no response came. The duo stayed in their hiding spot for the usual amount of cautious time, but, with the sneaking-period over, their curiosity proceeded to draw them out into the open. Once they had actually taken the time to stay upright within the living room for more than just a moment it took no time at all to acquire the confirmation of the hollowness of the household. "Oh my gosh! Leni! There's a spider on this dress down here!" Lincoln exclaimed as he cupped his hands around his mouth and aimed his face towards the stairs. Instead of the clamor from the frantic fashionista, he was only met with silence, a silence that was soon disrupted by the loud crash of the lamp from the end-table next to the couch shattering on the wall that the staircase formed. With his eyes adjusted to the dimness of the room, the boy looked from its crumbling remains to the girl that had thrown it and gave Lucy a bewildered shrug.

"If that didn't garner parental attention or peeks from the others I doubt much else would," Lucy deduced, "Also the spirit of an electronic's repairman has been trapped in there for ages. If not in our world I can at least let them free here." Lincoln's eyelids lowered and he shook his head. There was little that she seemed to not find a spiritual connection in. With his sight lowered however, his own figure became of interest. While it was true that most of the contents of their innards had been deposited into the yard outside, he himself still hadn't quite finished getting ready for the day back in their own world, and his body made sure that he was aware of that.

"...dibs on the bathroom!" he hollered and bounced up the stairs once he'd noticed the opportunity. Instantly Lucy was on his tail, her own organ's vibrations igniting at the declaration. Thankfully there were apparently no other siblings to compete with aside from her companion, but that didn't seem to make much difference in their race. With Lincoln's closeness to the stairwell and his more readied start he had little in the way of his victory. Even so, Lucy slammed her fist against the wood of the door once it had shut in her face.

"Lincoln! Let me in! This isn't fair!" she yelled emotionlessly. She hoped that the prodding might allow for some welcoming, but the rare moments of privacy within the normally chaos-filled building swayed those fantasies.

"Oh did I hear somebody?" the boy's muffled voice asked from beyond the doorway, "I'm sorry, I can't her anything over this SPACIOUS ABANDONED BATHROOM." Putting her ear to the door Lucy could hear the flow of the sink and whimpered in her throat.

"Maybe Lisa's isn't the only doll I'm gonna get out..." she growled at the door.

"Ladee doo! Dadee da!" Lincoln's voice sang through the object only gurgling the vocals of her throat further. Muttering something under her breath Lucy turned around and leaned back against the door, her arms folded over her chest in irritation. Of course they had somehow wound up in a completely vacated version of their house and she still had to wait her turn. It did give her the chance to dwell on the setting though. While their destination had certainly been odd, it did hold some semblance of their own world, just as Lisa had calculated on. Just what world they were on however did not at all seem to be the one she had described. Yes, there would certainly be retribution for they're being lied to or her messing up their trip.

Looking the hallway over however it seemed as though the Lisa of that world may have already received her comeuppance. Lucy was used to the disheveled nature of the residence, but the state of the path she viewed was like a hurricane had swept through it. Leni's dresses lay in tatters at her doorway. Lily's toys and Lisa's contraptions decorated the floor near the rooms of the younger inhabitants. Perhaps most foreboding were some of Lana's larger and more dangerous tools which had somehow buried themselves into the walls in parts of the hall. Whatever had transpired within the desecrated halls had long since passed leaving the abode tranquil in its aftermath. It were as though Lucy had been blessed with a peacefully ominous Halloween. But she was no fool. There'd obviously been something of urgency that had occurred, and she could think of no better means of preparation than her usual standby.

Still hearing the toilings within the bathroom, she walked over to the middle of the hallway and pulled down the staircase to the attic. A foreign sense of dust filled her nostrils. It was more expected than in the corridors of the house below, but even at its peak the house rippled with disuse. Compared to the calamity that she'd stepped through on her way to and from the bathroom, the attic was pretty accommodating. There were a few toppled boxes here and there, but most everything was still in its place. Being sure to keep an eye on the environment, Lucy made her way over to her trusted box of resources. The source from which she could always derive some sort of solution. Great Grandma Harriet's trunk.

Undoing the latch, Lucy flung the lid off of the object and bent over into it. As excitedly as she allowed herself to be she dug through the trinkets within. Potions, ghastly figurines, scrolls. Only one tried and true relic was what she sought however. As she pushed past the others her eagerness seeped away. It was...missing. The girl pulled away parchments and flasks but she couldn't find page or binding of the old tome. Great Grandma Harriet's Spellbook was gone.

"Confounding humph," Lucy said to herself as she pulled herself out of the trunk. After taking one last look into the shadowing interior she hopped down in front of the container and shut it. Folding her arms she looked to the side. She had been surprised that she'd been able to see as well as she had within the trunk, but as she looked at the wall she could see why. A hole had been burst open near the trunk. Whatever had happened that world's version of her must have taken it for precautions herself. That was the only explanation. Taking a peek through the hole she was surprised to see someone outside. It was far off so she couldn't quite make out any features, but it was most certainly a person. At least she now had confirmation of life.

The only "life" that she cared to pay attention to for the time being however had just exited the bathroom by what she could hear, and in conjunction with the vacancy of that room she flew back down the attic steps and dove into it, Lincoln only avoiding impact by his expectancy of the rush. Grinning at the disapproving frenzy, he strode casually to his room. He hadn't noticed the state of the hallway in their scramble for the bathroom, but even with the odd placement of ruin decorating it he still had preparations to attend to. Figuring he might as well go the full mile, Lincoln slipped into that universe's version of his room and looked for some fresh clothes.

He was surprised at the pristineness that awaited him. Compared to the utter travesty of the hallway he'd come from his room was The Garden of Eden. It wasn't the most pure example of cleanliness, but it at least looked like a normal room. His sheets were still on the bed, his video games were filed, and (upon taking a look beneath his bed) his Ace Savvy comics were all present and accounted for! He had to admit, he'd expected those to be gone. He couldn't imagine wherever that world's version of him had fled to to have just willingly left the things behind, especially with how remnants of Lola's own tiara collection had clearly been trying to make their way towards the staircase. Lincoln did his best to straighten out the wrinkles of the shirt with his hand, but the fabric seemed to want to keep its musty creases. In all honesty the peacefulness of his room was rather eerie with how thrashed the corridor outside seemed. At least if they were stranded though they had one decent room to operate from.

Lincoln tilted his head up. Were they stranded? After all...the room of the one that had torn them from their world was only next door. Assuming that it was the same date as in their own world...would this one's Lisa not have attempted her own inter-universal experiments? Bubbling with hope, Lincoln ducked into the room over and looked around. It was dark, but the hum of some lightly glowing chemicals within their containers in the corner provided some amount of dim illumination. To his dismay however, the place seemed to be as war-torn as the rest of the upstairs did. If there had been any inventions to play with they were long gone. That stupid robot he'd had to fight the previous week wasn't even in its corner.

"Sigh, just as ruined as my room," a voice scoffed causing Lincoln to yelp. He gave Lucy an annoyed glance but she smiled. "Consider that payment for making me wait," she told him, "but seriously, this world's me either let Lynn just practice sports everyday with no attempt to keep things clean or some animal got loose and chased everyone away."

"Yeah, it is a bit weird but my room's fine at least," Lincoln shrugged. Needing confirmation herself, Lucy popped her head through the door to his room and glowered as she looked back at him.

"Hey, I can't help that I'm the only decent one in this world," he smirked making his way towards the steps. As he headed down them however that smirk faded. The isolation of his words dug at him as he went. The ONLY decent one. "So...I was just seeing if Lisa might have any way to get back from her room here but..."

"Nothing," Lucy finished, her footsteps joining his. Lincoln nodded.

"And no telling if anybody even exists in this world with how empty-"

"I saw someone down the street while I was in the attic," Lucy told him. Lincoln stopped and stared at her. Basking in the victory, Lucy earned her own smirk. "I can't help that I'm the only observant one," she gloated as she brushed off the front of the dress that she'd gotten from that world's version of her room. Grinning, Lincoln punched her shoulder lightly.

"Well, okay, now we're getting somewhere," Lincoln said in unspoken congratulations, "so we go ask someone what's happened, find this world's Lisa, and get her to get us sent back home."

"Sigh, and just when I was getting used to the doom and gloom," Lucy murmured halfheartedly. Lincoln lifted a brow at her causing her smirk to lengthen.

"Alright Ms. Despair, don't worry. I'll handle the asking-people-how-to-get-home parts," he told her.

"What a gentleman," Lucy cooed wrapping her hands around his arm. Pursing the lips beneath his reddened face, Lincoln coughed and pulled the arm back. Lucy felt the same awkwardness that he'd displayed in the aftermath of the hypnosis from the night before, but they had more important issues to deal with. Besides, such teasing had to expect some chance of embarrassment. Why then did he feel so...distant in the dismissal? Lucy wouldn't have long to ponder on the nature of the boy's actions. Almost as soon as he'd opened the door they were greeted with figures that had been nearing the house. Hope crawled beneath their skin. As they neared they could even make out just who the people were. But as they did their skin crawled for another reason entirely.

Though normally a source of sheer (if sometimes annoying) happiness, the adults of the Yates household that approached them wracked the two Loud kids' spines with shudders. Gone were Jancy and Bumper's permanent grins and in their place were hanging jaws that groaned with starved desire. The desire for the life that had so willingly stepped out into the world before them. Moaning, the taller woman drug a limp leg with her hip, the appendage's structure torn and rotted away while teeth swung from the deteriorated left portion of her lower jaw. Her husband meanwhile rocked his head about loosely on the shoulders it clung to, the inner structure that supported it seemingly shattered and an eye dangling in its flops.

Unable to process the scene initially, Lincoln and Lucy just watched as the two ruined bodies trudged towards the steps of their house. Even the mistress of the night had to process the unbelievable scene and the implications it brought. Either due to fright or instinctual survival, Lincoln grabbed Lucy's hand and pulled her over the side of the porch where he took off into a run. The younger girl's legs eventually caught up with his pace as they broke out of their stupor. The two leaped over the crater they'd left in the yard, but the maimed couple showed no signs of letting their newfound meal get away. They may not have matched their prey in speed, but their drive was unwavering. Neither child could believe that they'd just waltzed out into the open of some unknown world unarmed. Seeing that their own house would be a bit risky to fall back to for supplies with their pursuers between them and it , Lincoln pulled Lucy towards the one next door. After all, if a "changed" version of its resident was still there they'd meddled with him often enough to have a good understanding of how to subdue him.

As they reached the door however their enthusiasm died. The doorknob rattled, but not far, and the door itself wouldn't budge. The thing was locked! Looking back over her shoulder, Lucy could see the Yates having turned towards the door themselves. Desperately Lincoln tugged and twisted at the knob but it wouldn't give. The entrance remained stuck as though it'd been built into the wall of the house! Hearing the growling, Lincoln pulled harder. Soon Lucy was grabbing at it as well, rare tension showing on her face. As the zombies got to the doormat of the building Lincoln and Lucy's rattles on the door had turned to bangs from their fists in a futile attempt to break the thing down. Just as they heard the inner distortions of the couple's throat's nearing their ears, another noise sounded. The air around them changed to that which escaped from the door they'd been pounding against as it swung open. Even the rotted faces of the Yates looked up at the older mustached man who stared at the scene on his doorstep. Looking more annoyed than anything else, Mr. Grouse pulled the kids inside and grabbed a shotgun from behind his door.

"My yard my property!" he yelled at the undead couple as he aimed it at their faces and pulled the trigger.

* * *

"Alright so we've searched the attic, the basement, the kitchen, living room-"

"Dog house," Leni interjected in the list that the younger blond was listing off. Lana looked at the ceiling. She was surprised she actually hadn't thought of that one but was thankful there was someone sensible enough that had.

"Dang it, this is just great," Lynn Sr. groaned as he folded his arms over his chest, "It's right before everyone has to leave and one of them-"

"Two," the younger Lynn corrected.

"-TWO of them vanish," the father finished in a mixture of annoyance and worry, "Where would they even have gone? Lincoln's usually pretty good at explaining where he'll be." Though the search had long since ended, the older Louds would still occasionally look into whatever rooms they were near. Luan sometimes caught and exchanged worried expressions with her roommate in their vain seeking. If anyone could scare her it'd be Lucy, but normally not in such a concerning way. Her style was more direct fright than the fear of the unknown. And she doubted that the loner had been feeling dejected enough to pull such a worrying disappearance. After all, whenever she'd seen her around Lincoln as of late she'd been in whatever slightly higher moods that her body could muster than she normally was. Luan rubbed her chin. No, whatever was going on...they were doing something together...she just wished she knew what it was... Almost as if to address the pondering, Lana stepped forward.

"Alright guys, I think it might be time to consider the worst case scenario," she sighed. Lynn nodded as the two girls looked at each other.

"Oh em gosh! Rats ate their clothes and they're hiding so that we won't see how unfashionable they must be dressing now?" Leni exclaimed. Most of the hall's other inhabitants shook their heads.

"No Leni," Lana grumbled, "What I mean is this is Lucy and Lincoln...now I don't know about you all but-"

"Oh here we go," Lola scoffed as she rolled her eyes. Her twin shot a rather nasty look at her, but the pageant-queen ignored it.

"As I was saying..." Lana stated with some degree of force to recollect the attention, "Lately those two have been-"

"Where's Lisa?" Leni asked. Lana was about to give her the same look that she'd given Lola but, after realizing that the older girl probably wouldn't even know why she'd be making the expression, Lana joined the rest of the family in a shared stare of disbelief. How had none of them noticed the absence of the youngest siblings? Acting as one mind, they all turned towards the closed door that they had passed over in their search and Lana approached it. Her eagerness only matched occasionally by Lynn, she put her ear to the door and listened. The scrunched faces that she made only furthered the suspense towards what might be happening on the other side.

"You hear blood-sucking?" Lynn asked quietly as she popped up and smacked her fist into the palm of her other hand.

"You hear dumbasses?" Lola asked only slightly louder.

"Gosh, if they're at the Martian part tell them that the suit's ready in my room," Leni requested. After processing all the questions, Lana looked at the door and gave them a confused shrug. She wasn't sure just what was going on on the other side, but whatever it was it was noisy. A slurry of bleeps and boops mixed with the odd yelp from the brown-haired scientist that dwelled in the room. Lana put her hand on the doorknob and lifted three fingers up on the other one. As she lowered the digits down to two the rest of the family got ready and as the final finger bent they rocketed forward. The door nearly blasted off of its hinges from their combined force against it. In the room that they entered the infant jumped, but her older sibling continued her frantic twists and pulls on levers and switches at the terminal that she operated from. The intruders darted their heads around, their brief moment of hope diminishing at the realization of the middle childern's prolonged absence.

"Come on come on! It was just one little accident!" Lisa whined as she toiled away. Every movement she made at her station altered the swirling vortex of light on the wall of her room. The odd portal gained quite a bit of attention with the energy that the search had been draining out of its participants, but the adults, the female one at least, stayed undeterred from their goals.

"Lisa honey," Rita interrupted. The young girl jumped and nearly hit the roof of her terminal. She hadn't heard any of the guests enter with how caught up she had been in her efforts. Spinning around she backed up against the controls of the terminal at the sight of the congregation that had collected in her room. What were they all doing in there? "Lisa, we're sorry to interrupt your work, but it is getting pretty late. You really should get ready for school," the mother reminded. Lisa nodded her sweating face shakily. "Before you do though we're all looking for Lucy and Lincoln. They seem to be missing. Have you seen them?" the woman continued. The shine of Lisa's complexion glistened evermore. She tried to speak. She fought desperately to operate her vocals, but the nerve just wasn't there so instead she creaked her head back and forth. Those that were paying attention to her turned their heads downwards at the disheartening response, but Lola had her own questions.

"What is this thing?" she asked jabbing her thumb at the portal, "can you shrink it down and let me wear it to the next pageant? The other girls would just die if they had to compete with such shimmering beauty.

"N-no, th-th-that's just a p-p-portal to other u-universes..." Lisa managed to stammer as the eyes began to turn from her, "n-now p-please all of y-you...exit. I w-will get ready and be d-d-downstairs m-momentarily...I h-have much w-work to d-do here before I c-can l-leave..." Luan was the only one preoccupied enough with the glimmering gateway to not come to a stop when she tried to leave. The rest of the family jumped out of their hopelessness in surprise at the sight of the youngest Loud blocking their way out. Lisa bit her lip once she realized who was glaring up at them and tried to shrink back against her console.

"Lily, what's wrong? We have to like try to find Lincoln and Lucy before school starts," Leni explained. The baby peered daggers around the side of the group at her roommate who hesitantly shook her head at her. Only narrowing her eyes, Lily stepped back in front of the family fully and slumped over as she brought her hands up and started pulling on invisible objects in front of her eyes, a frown on her face.

"Aw that's Lucy!" Leni cooed.

"Yeah, we're looking for her," Lola said the baby, "she and-"

"Lincoln brah!" Luna said pointing at the infant, her upper teeth now pushed up over her lower lip and her fingers sticking up on a hand that she'd put to the back of her head.

"Wow, you could really "rattle" the audience with that act!" Luan commented as she slid in from the side. Lily repeated the imitations a couple of more times to make sure the family had registered the routine. Once she knew that they understood who she was acting out, the little Loud held up two fingers before showing her impressions of them again and clasping her hands together as she waddled towards them with an oblivious smile. The family looked at each other as understanding slowly sifted through them. After enough had realized the pantomimed journeying partners, they looked back down at Lily who pointed at the portal. One by one the family was overtaken by varying degrees of expressions, none of them pleasant. Lisa gulped as they turned to her.

* * *

The streets of Royal Woods lay silent save for the roll of the tires wheeling a rather weathered vehicle through them. The citizens that the boy and girl within were used to seeing causing a commotion across its pavement now dotted the landscape with a new drive, that for their hunger. For many their vocal chords had withered away long ago leaving nothing but the sift of their feet through the overgrowth that blanketed the yards of the town's houses. As the car passed numbers of them turned their attention to it, but did little with the prolonged infection that hampered their chases. Of the one that did manage to grab hold of the vehicle and hang on, the driver simply rolled down the window and smashed his elbow into it sending bits of brain and an eyeball flying from the falling hitchhiker.

"So...this all really just happened...overnight?..." Lincoln stuttered. He still shook from the sights that were given to the newcomers but much less so than he had in their journey to get to the old man's car when it'd been in his driveway. His skin still crawled from the snap he'd heard when Mr. Grouse had carelessly broken a zombie's knee with the butt of his shotgun when it'd tried to enter the yard. Lucy had remained silent for most of the time they'd been driving, though her brother couldn't tell if that was due to adjusting to the world they now traveled across or if she was relishing in the morbidity of it all. The few squeezes she'd given to his arm when "obstacles" had leaped at her window however suggested the former.

"Well to be frank I'm not entirely sure Loud," Mr. Grouse said from the front seat. He didn't even flinch as the corner of the vehicle slammed into the side of an unresponsive stumbling woman, the impact ripping part of her abdomen away from her unaware body. Lincoln sucked in a hiss of air and snapped his eyes away from the brief glimpse he'd gotten. Whether it be by something ushering her from her side or a response to his movements, Lucy cuddled up against him and nuzzled her face into his neck. The blob of hair his face rested in made it difficult to pay attention to the driver. "Like I said, it was a few months back. I was busy watchin' my stories when all of a sudden I hear this crash. Next thing I know half the neighborhood's trying to get into my house. Took some help from that sports-nut sister of yours but we got em handled."

"Sigh, of course it's the rest of the family that gets to experience the beginning of this haven of desolation," Lucy mumbled through Lincoln's shirt.

"Ugh, tell me about," Mr. Grouse spat from the driver's seat, "the little blond one can scream her throat out. And not in the "help, save me!" kind of way, I legitimately think she was using it to fight the folks that'd just moved in down the street with when they tried to break in." The older man rubbed the inside of his ear a few times.

"Yeah...that sounds like her..." Lincoln murmured sharing a proud look of embarrassment with the other passenger. Of course it'd be Lola that would injure the opposition with her whining.

"Eh you can ask her yourself in a minute," Mr. Grouse grumbled. Their attention had turned towards the horizon. Though it'd been growing over the crest of the land for a good minute or so, the features of where the mall had stood had grown defined enough for the children to make sense of what they were looking at. What had been simply a locale for shopping had been completely transformed. What bits of it that they could see had chunks missing from along the sides and corners of it for perceived snipers. Most of the building itself however was obstructed by a large makeshift wall that had been erected around its perimeter with shorter barriers growing outward from it until a measly trail of barbed-wire lay at the furthest-most defenses from the gates that they were approaching.

As a few shots sounded from the structure to incapacitate some of the company that the car had been attracting Lucy nuzzled further into her brother's warmth. The complete and utter despair with bullets passing judgment and her favorite person to go on escapades with. It was almost heavenly. Sure the initial exposure to the undead landscape had caught her off-guard, but the longer she had dwelt in it the further she'd grown enamored to the realized fantasies.

"You know...we don't...HAVE to find a way back..." her quiet voice suggested. Lincoln looked down at her in shock. "Look at the world...death everywhere...people holing themselves away in the bleakness of the inevitable...we could meet a decent end here..." Lincoln noticed her grip on the arm she was hugging getting uncomfortably snug and he pulled away red. Lucy dropped her arms as she looked at his retreating figure before turning her face towards her lap. She knew that Lincoln wasn't the most tolerable when it came to fright, but he had been making progress with how he'd displayed knowledge of some of the reading material she'd given him. And everyone knew her books weren't the most tame of fiction.

Lincoln however had more personal reasons for the rejection. He'd been coming to terms with the unwelcome feelings that his memories of their time together as heroes had brought and Lucy's...proposition was not helping him in the passing of them. He knew he had to be able to "flirt" given his role, but how she had suggested the notion had felt a bit too...close...

"Lucy you...you know I... "love" ALL of you...right?" he sighed from where he was watching the third wall pass by his window. Lucy tilted her face back up to him, unsure of just what he was addressing, though curious towards his words. Lincoln himself chanced a look towards her which sent his red face back towards the window. "Think of what it would be like if we never got back..." he told her. Lucy looked back down at her lap. It was only typical that she'd have to have guilt thrown at her about her fantasies. No matter how she might be ignored by most of the others, she was still obligated to care on some level. "And besides...if we never made it back how would we get to the Ball?" Lincoln reminded. Her head perked up at the mention of the more important dilemma. Of course he was right...but that pull away from her, the way that he kept his eyes off of her. There was something...distant about his actions.

"I'm not sure what all this "love-the-family" "get-to-the-ball" stuff's about, but we're about to see em," Mr. Grouse told them. That broke the kids from their turmoil. Having slid away from the setting at-hand in their conversation, Lucy and Lincoln looked around frantically as the car wheeled to a stop.

"Garage is around that way Mr. Grouse!" a black-haired man hollered from his post at the top of the gate when he realized the car had stopped.

"Oh shut it Kotaro," the older man shouted back, "I'm just here to drop off some brats." The familiar guy scrunched up his face at the visitor and watched as the passengers opened their doors. He really did not care for the older man's nonchalant grumpiness. But as his cargo emerged his face shifted from annoyance to disbelief. His jaw almost fell off his head as the black and white-haired children looked up at him equally as startled by the raggedy clothes and makeshift armor he wore.

"...oh my...god..." he said.

"Come on Kotaro, ya can't get distracted. We're supposed to keep an eye out for people looking for shel-" Coach Pacowski said from the station at the other side of the gate's roof before going quiet as his eyes drifted down to the boy and girl that had just arrived. "...holy shit," he gawked. Lucy and Lincoln fidgeted in their spots, unsure just how to react to the startled attention they were receiving. Mr. Grouse rolled his eyes at the baffled guards and looked around the camp-ground-turned parking-lot.

"Hey! Any Louds around here?" he yelled from his window. Lincoln and Lucy could hear murmurs from a few of the people resting in the small community that'd been set up at the exterior of the mall, mostly about the annoying old man that they didn't seem too keen on having returned. A few more excited ones however seemed to be about they themselves from people that had noticed them. One such person was soon to be the taller orange-haired kid that had begun approaching the car.

"You didn't come all the way out here just to get their dad's lasagna again did y-y...you?..." Rusty asked, though his words quieted as they neared the sentence's end. His hands fell from his hips once he spotted the kids Mr. Grouse had brought. It took a few seconds before he did anything, but Lincoln's eventual wave seemed to be what caused Rusty to rub his eyes and gawk at them more intently. Feeling the stares around them, Lucy slid as best she could back to behind Lincoln. With how long the viewing was taking, Mr. Grouse grumbled to himself and honked the horn of his car.

"So you gonna-" he started to growl at the kid. As he talked however his voice became lost in Rusty's.

"LOUD FAMILY!" he cried as he ran towards the entrance to the mall. Lucy peeked her head out over her brother's arm to look up at him in their shared unease of the building suspense. With the anxiousness that had surrounded them in the car ride they hardly had time to ready themselves for the reunion they'd been driving towards. Now that they had arrived they felt like aliens. With how tight-knit the community could be, most seemed aware of who the newcomers were and shared in the shock of their state and arrival. They looked like they hadn't even come into contact with any of the undead with how cleanly they were dressed. As Lucy scanned over the faces she noticed a few from the Morticians Club who seemed to be caught up in a hushed discussion about her debut. Most of the others focused on the more community-invested of the two, but one pair of eyes that did hang on her she could see was from the brother of the boy that had run off after seeing them. Though just as in awe as the rest of the inhabitants, Rocky waved to her and joined in her reddened smile once he'd noticed her stare.

Having made the delivery, Mr. Grouse was ready to shift his vehicle into reverse and depart when a low rumbling started. The people stationed near the entrance of the mall looked to the interior and jumped to the side as a cloud of bodies swarmed out and drifted towards the new arrivals in thunderous excitement. Through the blur of dust that was kicked up in the stampede's path Lucy and Lincoln could make out dark shapes. Mr. Grouse contemplated whether he should just evacuate, but to his possible worse fortune the crowd turned out not to be zombies as their figures became detailed by the light breaking through their dissipating cloud. He wasn't sure what made him stay, but for whatever reason he allowed himself the sight of the rest of his next door neighbors making their greeting to the family member's that he'd brought to them.

"LINCOLN!" most of the sisters cried as they threw themselves into a hug around him. Lucy wriggled helplessly in the embrace that she was suspended in the air with as they bypassed her body to entangle the brother. She cursed not realizing just who had been approaching them nor the affection they would douse them with.

"Luce! Y-you're alive!" Lynn cried rubbing her cheek against her former roommate.

"Yeah, talk about a "resurrection"!" Luan laughed as she mashed her face into her black-hair, another bout of undesired attention.

"Like oh my god, where the hell have you two been?" Lori cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Yeah! And where's your gear? Normal civilian clothes are like half-a-year ago," Leni added being sure to address their fashion choices. The mother of the family shared the wetness of Lori's eyes as she watched. Mr. Grouse cranked the shift of his car backwards as he saw the father approaching but couldn't get his foot pressed down in time to get away before the man's arm hung on his window.

"You're not leaving already are you neighbor?" Lynn Sr. asked, "you can't think that you're house is any better than out here."

"Loud there's quite a few things I can think of better than this," he grumbled at the sickening scene, "now get your blasted arm off my car."

"At least stay for some congratulatory lasagna!" Lynn Sr. requested. Mr. Grouse's brows lifted at the mention of his reward, previous conflicts evaporating.

"Well...maybe just a few bites..." he mumbled to himself.

"LAME-O!" a voice screamed. The family jerked their heads towards the entrance they'd come from just in time to avoid colliding with the girl that had been charging at them. With a force that nearly popped Lincoln's eyes from his skull, he was tackled to the ground beneath a familiar Hispanic girl. Once his viewing organs had resituated in his head they focused on the face in front of his and he pressed back against the softness pushing against his lips. Both of them blushing, Ronnie Anne pulled her lips back and gave him a sheepish grin. A wider one was worn by a number of the sisters around them. Lucy though, who'd been broken out of her stranglehold in the assault, did not. She was pleased with the reunion, for however much she may not show it, but her face hung. That embarrassed smile Lincoln wore as Ronnie Anne helped him to his feet sent an isolating chill across her body. Lucy was happy for the family and friends that greeted them, but something inside of her gnawed at her anxiousness at the sight.

"What are you doing here loser?" Lincoln asked in happy confusion at the appearance of the former Royal Wood's citizen. He felt the air squeeze from his lungs as yet another display of affection coiled another set of arms around his torso.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!" Clyde cried, "I thought you were DEAD!" Lucy was at least happy that her own face was allowed to return to its normal coloring at some point. Nervously, Lincoln patted his childhood companion on the head while a few more familiar faces approached, having followed Ronnie Anne.

"Dude, do you think we'd just let you guys get eaten?" Bobby laughed putting an arm around Lori.

"Even if we wanted to, there'd have been no stopping Ronnie Anne running away to help," their grandmother told them. On cue Ronnie Anne turned her grinning face to the sky and folded her arms over her chest.

"Kill the zombies, kill the zombies!" a brightly colored parrot repeated as it flew around the group.

"It wasn't that bad at first," Ronnie Anne and Bobby's mother said, "but the closer we got to Royal Woods the more there were. By the time we got to a shelter we'd used up practically everything we'd armed ourselves with from the bodega."

"Even the bunion scraper..." their grandpa sighed. A lighter-skinned girl around Ronnie Anne's age rubbed his back sorrowfully as he looked towards the ground.

"Wait...how far has this thing spread?" Lincoln asked. The families looked between each other startled.

"Uh...it's gone everywhere," Lola stated flatly, "Where've you two been anyhow? We looked all over for you until we couldn't hold out at the house anymore. How don't you know what's gone on after all this time?" Lincoln tugged at his collar as the eyes turned back to him. Lucy felt some itchiness crawling on her arms.

"Well um...ya see..." Lincoln mumbled as he scratched the back of his head, unsure just how to explain their situation "We uh...we..."

"We're not your Lincoln and Lucy," his companion helped. Lincoln blinked his eyes at her from the bluntness of the statement, but it at least got the point across. Though the relief of the reunion remained, he felt the height of the meeting's warmness passing from what Lucy had just divulged. They could practically see the uncertainty spreading throughout the group in the looks that they gave them and each other.

"Uh...what are you talkin' about brah?" Luna asked as she leaned forward on her spiky guitar, "You two are Lincoln and Lucy right?" The two in question grimaced at each other. They didn't want to ruin the mood but...they couldn't exactly lie to them. It wouldn't have been right, no matter how much it might disappoint them. The family, hell, the whole world they were in weren't in the best of shape, but they had their own problems to attend to. In the silence however, some of the eyes of the crowd began to narrow as assumed dishonesty pricked at their minds.

"You got some nerve to come in here pretending to be them!" Lana growled taking a step forward with a rather vicious looking wrench. A few of the other sisters followed suit with threatening weapons of their own, though Leni's barbed scarf simply wrapped around her head as she tried to whip it causing her to fall over. Lincoln and Lucy grabbed each other fearfully.

"Woah woah! No! It's us!" Lincoln exclaimed.

"Likely story! You just said you're not them!" Lola barked.

"He said they're not OUR Lincoln and Lucy," Ronnie Anne reminded, though in spite of her aide concern could be seen on her face. Lola however wasn't so easily swayed.

"And just what the crap's that supposed to mean?" Lynn Jr. spat putting a hand on her hip as she slung her blood-crusted bat over her shoulder, "For all we know that's just them feeling sorry for impersonating them to try and get in here!"

"Why would someone try to do that brah?" Luna asked, "It's not like you need a Ticket to Heaven to get in here."

"No it's them," a younger voice interjected. The sisters turned to look at the younger orange-haired boy that had spoken from the people at the camps around them. Nervously Rocky gulped. Looking to Lucy he received a smile from her only heightening his nervousness, but for a different reason as he smiled back.

"Yeah it's...it's them alright..." Ronnie Anne murmured as she kicked the ground, her face blushing as she glanced at Lincoln's own glow.

"Course it is, the little spooky one nearly gave me a heart attack when I came back to the living room to give em some drinks and saw her standing at the doorway after I turned back around," Mr. Grouse grumbled as he walked towards the entrance of the mall, "now where you got your food-place set up Loud?" Ignoring the older man, the group persisted in their suspicious stares but Lincoln and Lucy at least felt less endangered than they had seconds before.

"But if you're not... "our" Lincoln and Lucy...then...who's are you?" Ronnie Anne continued as she peered at them, "and how did you get...here?" Lucy and Lincoln looked to each other. What all explanations they'd give would likely lead to only more questions. But there was an answer that they knew would cover a majority of the issues. Glares on their faces, the looked to the shortest Loud that could walk causing her to take a step back.

"...what?" Lisa asked.

* * *

Steam poured out from the cracks of the plating that the small child tore open. Every moment that passed her heart seemed to pound with an ever-unfathomable worry. Not even caring about the danger, Lisa pulled the series of chords she'd selected from their sockets spraying bolts of electricity all over the inside of the chamber. Her face stung from the currents that rippled onto her skin but she paid the pricks of energy no mind. She couldn't afford to. Not after how the rest of the family had left. More sweat formed along her brow as she thought back to the unspoken threats that they had departed with. Leni had only had the linings of anger, probably due to her obliviousness to the extent of the situation, but others like Lori had had their glares flooded by the emotion, to say nothing of the disbelieving shouts and yells they'd thrown at her once they'd realized what had happened to the missing children.

With Lincoln and Lucy's absence it was impossible for her to waste time spent away from her search at school, but that would only matter if she achieved results. There was no telling how long she'd be grounded if those two were lost to the depths of space and time. She had given some thought to the idea of possibly just taking a Lincoln and Lucy from another universe to stand in for theirs until she could find them so that the punishments might not be as severe, but she knew it would have only been a matter of time before the others realized that they weren't the ones that belonged there. And what would that have done to the reality that she would have plucked them from? There were too many variables that could go wrong. And so she continued her tinkering. Every now and then she felt that she had found the pair, but each time it had turned out to be a misunderstanding, be it due to other multi-universal mishaps, or that universe's version of them having gone off on some meaningless adventure of their own.

Pulling her head back in a moment of rest, Lisa looked towards the crib at the other end of the room and glared. It was all her fault. If her little sister had just kept to herself she might have found someway to pass off the disappearance and her need to stay home without anybody noticing. But no, instead the rest of the family had to find out and leave her trembling and panicked, thus decreasing her chances of success. And what did they know? They clearly couldn't comprehend the good the experiment could provide for science! Creatures went missing everyday for the sake of advancement. What was the hurry in the retrieval? It's not like they'd been confirmed dead or anything. The sacrifice of a day or so away from school could lead to advancements not even dreamed of!

Lisa groaned as she closed her eyes. The strain of worry for her safety was getting harder to bear, but as she searched the darkness of her eyelids she could make out an image beneath them. A darker skinned girl around her age. Her brows were furrowed as the lids lifted back up halfway. She sighed as she remembered what she'd learned with her.

"Not everything's for science," she muttered to herself irritably. With a unwanted renewal to her motivation, Lisa got back to modifying the chords she'd unplugged.

* * *

"So you're telling me...my Inter-Universal Traversal Unit hypotheses are actually correct?!" the young scientist exclaimed.

"I think you're kinda missing the point here..." Lincoln muttered. His flattened expression did little to curb the girl's excitement. "Can you get us back?" he asked. Lisa's trembling fingers stopped and she slumped into her seat at the table they had gathered around in the "command-center" of the mall.

"Technically yes...I could..." she replied, "but the equipment I'd need to perform such a task with would be back at the house and, well...we're not really getting much done with those zombies everywhere. Not to mention, I don't think we can really get to your issue before our own."

"You've made a pretty good fort out here. Seem to be surviving okay so far," Lincoln complimented.

"Oh yeah, like we literally want to live like this," Lori grumbled.

"Speak for yourself," Lynn said swinging her bat around, "this lets me put my pro skills to good use!"

"Gosh Lynn, is that another ruined pair of apocalypse shorts?" Leni ridiculed towards where the younger girl had gotten up on the table displaying the rips and tears of her clothing.

"Bottom line, it ain't happening without the zombies out of the way for me to work. I got the basic components together at the house, but no way to get everything combined with the life-threatening interruptions that'd be around us," Lisa told them. The table went quiet. There was little pleasantry to be had by either party involved in the discussion. And still further foreboding hung in the air.

"Brah...if you guys are from another universe...then what happened to our version of you?" Luna asked. Lincoln was surprised to hear the quieter visitor reply to the question.

"I've been thinking about that," Lucy told her. Some jumped at the response having forgotten that she'd been sitting there while others looked to her with anticipation. "You said that this zombie-plague started around Royal Woods Cemetery and spread out from there right?" Lucy asked. The others nodded.

"Yeah brah, it was like just this gnarly wave of despair that swept over the world," Luna said.

"Sigh," Lucy said, "such vivid beauty." A few of the people around them inched away from the morbid fascination leaving her with an uncomfortable blush, "Um...that is to say...that's where we're gonna find our answers." Those that had scooted away allowed their legs to fall back into position as the group whispered with interest.

"Our answers?...at the...cemetery?" the mayor asked from the head of the table. For such an unnatural reunion, quite a number of more authoritive staff within the massive refugee camp had been sure to divert some of their time to conversing with the other-worlders and hear the news they might bring. Lucy nodded.

"If we can figure out what all happened to start the outbreak I may be able to reverse it," she reasoned. Most that had stayed stationed at their jobs within the strategizing chamber turned from their terminals at the claim. The whole room trained their eyes on the pale girl, be it for hope or skepticism. Lucy didn't care for the attention, but she was confident in her statement.

"Well...she is pretty gifted with the...mystic stuff..." Lisa admitted.

"But that's like...the HEART of Zombieland. There's no telling what you're gonna encounter out there," Clyde told them. The others gave varying looks of worried agreement. The black-haired girl remained unmoved. In such a world she was at home and in her element.

"Then we encounter that stuff," Lucy shrugged.

"Lucy-"

"Lisa said it herself. The only way we're getting back is with the zombies gone," she reminded Lincoln. Gently she slid her fingers through his and gripped his hand. "Now are you with me?" Lincoln stared into the strands of hair that blocked the girls eyes searching for some sign of giving up on the proposal, but if she had any she did not show it. All he saw was a steadfast expression of seriousness. Allowing a sigh of air from his nose, Lincoln lowered his brows and nodded.

"WHAT? Dude's that's suicide!" Luna yelled.

"Yeah! You're gonna "lose your heads!"," Luan warned as seriously as her act would allow.

"It's hardly the first time we've snuck around that place," Lucy told them as she got up. She pulled Lincoln only an inch or so towards the door of the room before bumping into the girl that was directly older than them.

"Guys, seriously. I'm the best there is so believe me when I tell you, those things will fucking kill you," Lynn said jabbing her bat against the younger girl's chest.

"...you're free to come if you're worried," she told her. Lynn backed up about a foot at the invitation. Now the eyes locked on her, interested to see how the normally overconfident jock would respond. Sweat dripped towards her clenched teeth as she looked around the room. In her gut she knew the reply she had to give, but that didn't make it any easier to think about what the alliance would entail. If they were right though...

"...you're really going to do this...aren't ya?" Lynn sighed. Lucy nodded. Lincoln's nod was a bit more hesitant. Squinting her eyes, Lynn shook her head. "Then yeah, of course I'm coming. You two ain't dying alone," she gave in.

"Woah, hey, none of you are going anywhere without me! Do you know how much crap I'd get from mom and dad if you guys got killed?" Lori growled as she came over to them. The intimidation was lost on the smiles they gave her which she soon gave back.

"Babe you are not just leaving me here," Bobby said sliding in next to her.

"And you're going to need someone to fix your hair on the way," Leni told her pulling out a comb to attend to the latest ruffling Lori had received from an excursion into the high school earlier that day.

"Not like you can trust Bobby with handling stuff on his own in these times," Ronnie Anne added. Lincoln grinned at the punch she gave his arm. Before long practically both of the families along with Clyde and his dads had joined in on the burgeoning team.

"Alright alright," the mayor called from the door turning everyone's attention to her, "listen, I'm not sure if you're all crazy or if this could actually work. You two aren't even from our world apparently." Lincoln looked to Lucy but she remained as stern in her stance as she had when she'd initially started towards the door. "...but you are a version of the creepy one," the mayor nodded, "so if we do have a shot at this...I'll call some troops together to accompany your transports." Though some still held their reservations about the operation, none of the staff could do much to veto the decision of the mayor. All they could do was watch as the hopeful band sifted through the doors.

Silence wrapped the Loud and Casagrande families as they made their way towards the garage of the mall. Every now and then a comment would be heard from one or another, but for the most part they walked quietly. While many of the siblings and parents may have put on a brave face in the command-center, the truth that no wanted to speak was that they were scared to death. All that anyone could tell was that the outbreak had started at the town's cemetery, and they would be driving RIGHT INTO IT. If not for the sense of responsibility towards the visitors none of them would be making the trip. But Lucy and Lincoln were Louds, even if they weren't their's. And most had confidence in the young mystic's abilities, at least after having had to live in the hell that they walked for the weeks that they had. If there was a chance to be done with it, most were eager for it to be taken.

As they made their way through the food court Lincoln looked in sullen fascination over the state of the residents. It seemed as though a number of people had formed their own little communities that they stuck to. Those that weren't huddled around fires or televisions that had been hooked up to whatever syndication Lisa had devised for the devices in the mall either stuck to themselves or were gathered at tables discussing plans or eating. But the prevailing element of it all was the hopelessness. There were no smiles to be had. There wasn't a jovial throng of kids running through the halls of the once lively establishment or cheers coming from some event being held there. Just ominousness. People that he recognized wandered the corridors without arms. Young children walked parentless. It felt like a scene from a dream.

And what of the girl at his side? What was it that she felt? The forever lover of fear, continually enrapturing herself in her stories of terror. Did she allow the sympathy to overpower her lust for the dark? Judging by the way her hand tightened around his when they passed drug store-turned-medical-bay she did. After all she wasn't heartless, no matter how much she may enjoy the thoughts of mortality. The squeeze however brought his eyes to their hands. He was about to pull away, but in the setting they were in it was hard to do so. Did he truly wish to break away from his only true companion in such an alien environment? And would she want that? Of course not. That warmth of support was something that any soul would crave in the situation they were in.

He knew that the environment itself wasn't the issue though. It was them. It was him. That damn hypnotism he'd had done to him the day before. His undying curiosity about what he'd forgotten was what was driving the divide he insisted upon. But it was necessary...for his sake...right? He needed to do what he could block those debarred sensations he'd expressed in his drugged stupor. The more he insisted on the resistance though, the further his inner self fought back. And it was that part of him, that...care, be it for worry for her feelings or for her herself, that kept his hand intertwined in the appropriate support they required in the situation.

"Now don't go getting yourself killed out there! I didn't save ya for nothin'!" Mr. Grouse hollered from the food court, "and be sure you bring your dad back in one piece! I need his recipes!" Some of the group smiled at whatever they assumed Lynn Sr. had said under his breath as they passed into the garage. Once inside Lincoln and Lucy took a step back. They had expected changes sure, but the vehicle that the family congregated over to was a bit of an edit for Vanzilla. Lining the sides of it were rows of bladed spikes with what looked to be launching-devices of some sort along the rear sides of its walls. At the front were lined somewhat sophisticated yet deteriorated guns of varying shapes and sizes. The spiked bumper at the front was browned with the remnants of the bodily fluids that it'd no doubt had washed over it time and again throughout the course of the outbreak.

While the citizens that the mayor had requested to help them buckled into vehicles around them, the Louds that had managed to get seated noticed the two foreign ones still outside, just staring at the van. Smiling, Lana shook her head and leaned out the door.

"It's okay, it's not gonna attack," she assured them, "well...not you guys. Now come on! Let's end this thing already!" Blushing with embarrassment, Lincoln and Lucy skipped over to the vehicle and clamored in. "Yeah, we upped the ante a bit with the ol' girl," Lana explained, "threw in some more cylinders, attached some nitro, modified the steering-"

"-connected a fusion reactor, equipped it with state of the art Mass Drivers, implanted piercing laser-rounds," Lisa added. Lana glared at the competition as the doors to a chamber beyond the normal mall garage opened allowing the vehicles to start passing into a caged perimeter.

"Yeah, that's nice and all, but ya gotta have the basics of motion first," Lana stated as the doors closed behind the van once it'd pulled through. The assistance that the mayor had requested seemed to be staying in front of the Loud, McBride, and Casagrande vehicles probably for defense for when the gates of the cage opened up to let them through, which likely wouldn't be until the snipers above were done dispatching with the undead clusters that were trying to tear their way through the doors of the cage.

"Yesh, but that wouldn't do you much good without the firepower," Lisa grinned hearing a successful shot from one of the snipers, her enhancements of their weaponry proving their worth. The slightly older girl just made noises with her mouth as she opened and closed her hand in mimicry. Lincoln and Lucy smiled from the backseats that they had occupied. It was almost weird to see such teasing from such a severely altered version of the family. In spite of the hell they inhabited however they remained the same siblings at heart. Lincoln looked down to his hand again as the van passed through the gates of the caged section and made its way into the streets with its convoy. It was still hooked around Lucy's.

Was he being silly? Was paranoia simply taking hold? So what if he had spoken of such affection for her so normally. He'd been literally drugged and under the pressure of some warped reality device. It's not like the sisters and brother hadn't expressed love for each other before. And who knows how oddly that combination could affect how someone might act. And yet...still. Lincoln squinted as his eyes trailed up to Lucy's face. Thankfully she hadn't caught his stare, but he looked towards the seat in front of him all the same to keep from arousing suspicion. Whether or not the words had meant anything more than the platonic link they held, all that his worry of them had done was make it harder to do the job he'd agreed to.

So why did he focus on them so? Shifting the corners of his eyes towards her he knew the answer. Whether or not it was a dilemma of morality however, could he really afford its interference? That past week and a half, even with all the troubles and hardships that it had brought...it'd been the closest that he'd ever been to the pale sister, and dare he say the closest anyone had ever been to her. He knew she enjoyed it. He could see that on her face as they strategized against Lola and Lana at the Burpin' Burger. And he would be absolutely dishonest to say that he didn't enjoy the company himself. None of the other family members ever partook in his adventures for as long as she had, nor been as symbiotic in partnership. Sure she had her quirks of morbidity, but as he looked over the chattering passengers of the van he knew that none of them came as close to relating to him as she did. Each of them had their own elements that seemed to override everything else after a while, but her? Her's was isolation. Outcast. Being a misfit. That was something that nobody besides them shared. Was that understanding really something he wanted to chance pushing away?

Lucy looked down at their hands as she felt him give it an unintentional squeeze. Coursing with silent feelings of her own, the more stern figure broke from her thoughts. She was unsure of just how much Lincoln had put together about the world they were in, but she knew the gesture likely hadn't been for simple enjoyment.

"Sigh," Lucy said. If she'd been paying more attention she may have noted the alterness at which Lincoln snapped his head. "So...you know where we are right?" she asked. Lincoln blinked, his mind having completely departed from the world they were now in. As Luna chopped a corpse that'd been hanging on the side of the van with her weaponized music equipment his thoughts were pulled back into the situation.

"Oh um-OH! Right we...well..." Lincoln stammered as he tried to get his mind snapped back into place, "well at first I'd figured this world must have been what ours became from us being sent into the future or something and not being there when the zombies happened." Lola and Luan perked up and looked at each other. It was unusual hearing their brother and sister's voices in the van again after so long, but more interesting were the words they were speaking.

"But..." Lucy murmured motioning for him to continue.

"But...this isn't the future..." Lincoln sighed, "the time period seems to be the same as the one we have back on our world. All we did was just get flung into another universe, not flung through time." Lucy nodded. "So...what then happened to us here? Nobody seems to have the answer to that."

"I think I do," Lucy told him. The eavesdroppers' eyes bulged as their face faces pressed together to try and peer through the crack in the seats behind them.

"You do?" Lincoln asked. Lucy nodded. "...well don't keep me waiting," he requested.

"Sigh, you know that time a while back where we went to the cemetery to try and resurrect the dead?" Lucy asked. Lincoln glared at her.

"No, not in the slightest..." he grumbled as he rubbed his arm, the nip he'd received imprinted very visibly in his mind on the limb he stroked, "And I seem to recall it was YOU that was the one adamant about the ritual..."

"Now let's not go pointing fingers," Lucy mumbled as she rubbed her collar. Neither even noticed the slimy organ that streaked across their window as Lynn disemboweled one of the bodies that had tried to force open the one next to her.

"I actually was thinking about that when Mr. Grouse was driving us to the mall," Lincoln confessed, "But...we stopped that first zombie. There was never an outbreak or anything."

"Not in our world," Lucy said, "but this one has been like this for weeks-"

"Which would line up with when you-"

"-WE-"

"-performed the ritual," Lincoln nodded. Luan and Lola's eyes had somehow grown even wider. "And we never told anybody about that excursion before or after we went...but why'd it go wrong here?"

"I think that might have to do with Lisa," Lucy almost growled as she folded her arms over her chest and pushed herself back into her seat.

"Lisa?" Lincoln questioned.

"Lisa?" Lola and Luan asked each other before looking over their shoulders at the young inventor. She didn't even look at the zombie that gnawed at her window until one of her launching devices on the rear of the vehicle ricocheted a ball into it erupting it into an explosion at whichpoint she smirked.

"You remember how her stupid machine is supposed to find alternate realities as they come into existence or whatever?" Lucy muttered. Though confused as to her accusation, Lincoln nodded. "I think SHE caused this one to break off from the path our's took." Lincoln's eyes went back and forth across their sockets as they searched for some hidden answer.

"...why?"

"Because, lately I've noticed that, SOMEHOW, she has MY spellbook in her room, even though I know exactly where mine is. I had no idea how she'd gotten a copy of it until you locked me out of the bathroom when we got here," Lucy explained, though Lincoln was more perplexed by his role in the story, "I looked for the spellbook that this world should have had in case it might help us get back home but I couldn't find it. It was missing." The dots were slowly starting to connect in the boy's head, but the picture wasn't quite formed.

"Okay, so...to make this universe happen...she would have had to...time travel to a point where she knew that she could find the book at so she could...bring it back to our time period...to use as a...step stool..." Lincoln deduced. Lucy's eyes almost jutted through her hair from how large they'd gotten.

"THAT IS WHY SHE TOOK IT?!" she hissed as she pressed her nose up against his. Lincoln gulped as he tried to inch his head back.

"Sh-she...she just thought it was the right size to...um..." Lincoln stammered. Her teeth almost grinding to the point of shattering, Lucy flopped back into her seat, invisible steam wafting from her head.

"I can't believe that little-"

"But, okay, so...the spellbook is gone. Why would that mean all of this would happen?" Lincoln asked. Though still fuming over the thievery, Lucy lifted a brow at him.

"Don't you remember? I needed that to counteract the resurrection when it went wrong," Lucy reminded. In annoyance he looked to his arm.

"Oh...right..." he grumbled. The memory made the part where he'd been bitten that day itch slightly. "But wait...wouldn't that mean we're screwed then? Don't you need it-"

"Please, Lincoln after that I made sure to memorize the spell. I didn't want you to ever get put into that kind of danger again," Lucy told him. A few moments passed in silence before the two blushed and turned away from each other. "I just don't know how to make it effect the most amount of undead off the top of my head...so I was hoping to...get some help from...us..."

"Wait-what? But if we didn't have the spellbook here wouldn't I have at least-" Lincoln's voice became muffled as his seatmate's hand pressed over his mouth.

"...no need to...alarm anybody right now..." Lucy said quietly, "Let's just focus on getting to me so we can see about getting some help before we try to pull this off."

"But...what if you...are..." Lincoln questioned taking the hand away from his mouth. He didn't finish as he worried the hand might return.

"Lincoln, look who you're talking to," Lucy smiled as she put her hand on her chest, "You think I wouldn't have ways around that?"

"Well, your feats do vary sometimes," he told her. Beneath her hair she rolled her eyes.

"You with me or not?" she asked. Lincoln let his eyes drop to the corner of his lower eyelids but nodded. The eyes jumped as he felt her body hit his in a strong embrace. The lingering sense of uncomfortableness fought only for a moment before Lincoln wrapped his own arm around her neck. The bullet-fire from the surrounding vehicles and creaking of the tires were barely audible to them as the van rolled to a stop. It wasn't until the first row of Louds had gotten out that they realized they had halted.

"Hey lovebirds, look alive," Lana called as she hopped out. Blushing hotly, Lucy and Lincoln broke apart and crawled over the seats in front of them to get out once Lola and Luan had gotten out of their way. Lincoln and Lucy brushed themselves off upon hitting the ground and were surprised to see a metallic wall that had begun to form around the collection of vehicles. It only took about a minute for the perimeter to fully circle the group. Carl stole the last zombie within the circle from Lynn as the ceiling materialized and slid into place in segments above them. The cube of defense started shifting and expanding newly-formed compartments outwards, sometimes forming firing structures along its walls for personnel to occupy. While the Casagrande child and the Loud teenager fought over the remains of the final zombie, most of the others that didn't man the turrets that had formed gathered towards the center of the structure.

Through the rear wall Lincoln and Lucy could see the gates of the graveyard beneath the midday sun. In all it wasn't as bad as anyone had expected. Thanks to the laser-fire from the compartments around the main structure the presence of the undead was unable to be ignored, but not nearly as many of the bodies seemed to be wandering around so deep into the infected-zone as they had expected. They could only see about three of them shuffling amongst the gravestones, though more undoubtedly lay deeper within the cemetery.

"The Zombie-Box should hold out pretty easily if this is the amount we have to deal with around the graveyard itself," Lisa told the others. Already she had begun constructing a series of weapons that she started handing out to the troops. "If we take a small platoon in we may be able to carve out a path through however many are occupying the main-"

"No," Lucy said. Even Lincoln looked at her in surprise. What objection could she have to the otherworldly strategies of a Lisa in such a situation?

"...no?" Lynn Sr., Rita, Lisa, and a few of the other siblings repeated. Lucy nodded her head.

"We don't have all the potential information necessary to reverse the zombification yet," Lucy informed. Dismal shock washed over the team.

"We don't?!" Lynn Jr. yelled, "Then what was the point of dragging us out here!"

"I said POTENTIAL information," Lucy repeated, "we might have what we need, but me Lincoln need to head in there first to see if we have everything right on our end."

"We do?" Lincoln gulped quietly. Lucy squeezed his hand.

"By yourselves?" Lori asked.

"Yeah, at least let us back you up!" Ronnie Anne said as she cocked the gun she'd received.

"No!" Lucy said, almost a bit too quickly, "no...y-you...you'd all just slow us down. I know the place like the wings of a bat and Lincoln's been there more than any of you with the ghost-hunting he's done."

"That should mean I'm qualified too!" Clyde boasted. Lincoln looked to Lucy who shifted her head towards him.

"You...haven't been there as much as me though man," Lincoln said, hoping the excuse was good enough, "you-...you've got no idea how often I've been dragged along to "commune with the spirits" and all that. Besides, you don't want your dads to worry too much do ya?" Clyde glowered at him. He knew when Lincoln was trying to get out of something, but he also knew that Lincoln knew that he couldn't just wander off with his dads' fears in his face.

"And what makes you think we wouldn't worry about you?" Harold asked. Clyde grinned as Lincoln received an annoyed jab from Lucy's elbow.

"Listen, again, all of you would just slow us down. Until we know for sure how to properly progress you all should just stay here. It won't be more than a few minutes. Promise," Lucy told them. The group simmered with protests, but there wasn't much else they could say. The two Louds that had come from another world were the ones that had given them hope, and if this was part of their operation...few found a good enough reason to negate their decision.

"At least take some weapons," Lynn said offering her bat. While Lincoln gladly grabbed the sports-equipment, Lucy declined.

"I have my own preference within the grounds," she told them. Lucy waved to the group and turned with a more unsure Lincoln towards the door that had formed on the back wall.

"Are you sure about this?" he whispered.

"Lincoln, you and Clyde beat the shit out of our dads when you guys thought there was a zombie outbreak in our world," she reminded. Lincoln's mouth shrunk slightly at the embarrassing memory. "Just pretend it's like that," she told him. They stopped walking however as Lisa came into view in front of them and pressed her hand against the door.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked. Lincoln pressed his supporting stare of the intellectual girl against Lucy, but she wouldn't budge.

"We will be fine," she assured her. Lisa kept her hand pressed against the door for a good half a minute as she stared the goth down, the rest of the group waiting in doubtful hopefulness behind them, but Lucy remained set in her path. The scientist could see it wasn't a fight she would win. With a sigh she pulled open the door and let the two through. Lola and Luan gave each other a suspicious look.

-end of segment-


	14. Royal War Z Part 2

Chapter 13: Royal War Z Part 2

"Damnit!" Lisa growled slamming her fists on the table in front of her. Her eyes twitched with rage and worry as her glasses dropped onto it. Minutes had turned into hours and not a single amount of progress seemed to have been made since that morning. Even after a whole day of sacrificing her scheduled academics she had failed to find just where Lucy and Lincoln had been sent to in the accident that had occurred. A line of sweat trickled down along the side of her face and dripped onto her ruined oil-splattered shirt. "Damnit damnit damnit!" she cried slamming the table each time, "WHY CAN'T I FIX THIS?!"

"Dam mut!" Lily laughed from her crib. Trembling, Lisa shook her head and glared at the baby. She'd certainly been no help.

"We already did that episode Lily! Let me focus on the matter at hand!" she spat. The baby returned her look to her. The inventor may have been having trouble, but she didn't appreciate getting yelled at for her input. "I have everything here! The power source is hooked up, the universe-hopping-tracker is operational, and all the damages have been fixed! I've searched through countless universes already! So WHY CAN'T I FIND YOU?!" Lily crawled backwards to the wall of her crib. She was used to the crazed antics of her older sister, but the pure depraved yelling was not something she had much experience with. The voice quieted though as another sound echoed through the house. A bang. Wood against wood. The two turned to the door as they heard the one at the front of the house open to let in the rests of their siblings from their day at school.

"What?! Already?" Lisa gasped and turned back to her table in a frenzy, "No no no no!"

* * *

As in their world, the leaves of the cemetery crunched softly beneath the feet of the brother and sister, their jog swift and quiet. Both had been surprised by how few zombies had been occupying the area. There was more than they would have liked to have sneaked around of course, but all things considered it was fairly manageable. In their run they assumed that, once the outbreak had started, most of the ones that had initially been resurrected must have moved on into the more populated areas to find more food. It was likely paranoia about where the outbreak had started that had kept survivors from traveling that far into it. As they made their way up the latest hill, one such infected stumble out from a tree in front of them. Almost instinctively Lucy slashed the shovel she'd collected from one of the gravesites into its stomach causing it to fall to its knees where Lincoln smashed its head in with the bat Lynn had given him. The sound of the skull crunching was all he needed to witness. Normally he might have made the ill-inducing mistake of looking at the wounded, but their race pumped his body with a pressing adrenaline that kept him more occupied with whatever the next actions were.

"You know I'm always surprised Lincoln. You are one of the easiest people I can think of to scare, but you never seem to get as frightened by zombies," Lucy mused.

"Should I? They're all over games and everything," Lincoln smirked. Obviously the initial contact with the monsters had been terrifying and there was the ever-present horror of what had been done to their bodies in the infection, but with how desensitized society had made him towards the entities in pop culture he viewed them as more of video game enemies than he did the other terrors of fiction. It didn't make the dispatching of them wholey unfrightening, but it did help. Lucy grinned back at him. She would have never dreamed that she would be able to enjoy such a visit to her sanctuary with the only one that ever seemed willing to accompany her to it. The mistreatment of the undead wasn't the most prideful thing to her, but it was unavoidable given the situation and it was at least returning the corpses to their rightful state. "So where're we headed?" he asked.

"Should be just over this hill," she replied looking forward. Their path cleared of interference, the two leaped through the branches of the bushes in front of them and started down the other side. Lincoln was surprised to see a little clearing in the crater that the top of the hill dipped into it. Surrounded by trees, the area was almost peaceful. Crows flew away from the tombstone they skidded to a stop in front of at the center of the site and Lincoln bent over to put his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. His lungs burned as air rushed into them.

"Alright," he panted, "We're here...now...what is this place? And...wh-...what's that smell?" Lincoln looked around for the source of the odor. It wasn't strong enough to be unpleasant, but the faint stench of decay was noticeable.

"Us," Lucy replied. Lincoln shook his head and looked at himself. Though unbelieving to the claim, he sniffed his shirt.

"It's definitely not me. And besides, I used the shower before we went over to Mr. Grouse's," he told her, feeling a bit insulted.

"Not me and you. Us," she repeated. Lincoln shot her a questioning eye, but seeing that she was pointing to the grave they'd come to he approached it and looked into the hole. Almost immediately he turned back around and clutched his mouth. That was the sight he'd wanted to avoid seeing when he'd bashed the zombie's head in before, but it was made only worse by who occupied the grave.

"Oh god..." he moaned through his fingers as his cheeks puffed out. Thankfully he was able to swallow his sickness, but that didn't erase the image in his head. When he closed his eyes those blank ones that had rolled up into the back of his head stared back at him...well...the one that remained anyhow. He didn't allow himself the best view of the decaying figures within the hole, but it was clear enough to see who the two had been.

"As for what this place is, this was my "recovery location" in case anything went wrong with the resurrection process, which, obviously for this world, it did," she told him, "I had managed to buy up the space for practice burials and was planning to have it ready in case any of us ever died. Didn't think I'd end up in it though"

"Well, that's very thoughtful but-GOD! Lucy what are you doing!" Lincoln put his hands over his mouth again as he heard some sort of dryish squelching noises from where she had just jumped into the grave. His cheeks fought with his lower eyelids as more rustling was heard from the hole. After half a minute or so, the girl reemerged with a brown pouch and she breathed in a large gulp of air. In awe, Lincoln approached her. Had she gone insane?

"Lucy, what is-"

"Arrows of Hod, outward go

Find your mark, pierce the foe."

"Uh...what are you-" Lincoln tried to ask but she continued as if he hadn't said anything.

"Guard the one who bears the charm

Protect his life and soul from harm."

As Lucy finished the incantation she took the fingers she had dipped into the brown bag when she'd begun speaking out and put them to Lincoln's face where she drew a symbol with the purple dust they'd been coated in. Lincoln went cross-eyed as he tried to look at the marking, but it wouldn't have mattered. It disappeared a second after it'd been drawn. He scratched at his face as Lucy repeated the process on herself.

"Uh...thanks?" Lincoln shrugged.

"It'll offer some defense. As long as we don't get directly up against the undead they shouldn't notice us," she explained. Lincoln felt some relief, though he wasn't exactly willing to put it into practice.

"Well...that's great for US, but I don't think the others are going to be THAT thrilled that you just managed to ward them off a bit for them," Lincoln commented.

"Dry laugh. You think that their me was carrying enough of this stuff to cover everyone else in?" she asked as she bounced the small bag up and down, "No I came here to get help from their me and for that I'd need to talk to her directly." Lincoln blinked and looked to the grave.

"...but...she's...dead..." he pointed out. Lucy smirked.

"Again, look who you're talking to," she said as she pulled a purple turban out from inside her shirt and put it on her head.

"Wait, were you carrying that all this-...hold on, you changed your clothes earlier! Where would you have-"

"Blood of my blood, you spirits of love," Lucy interrupted putting her hands together at her chest, "Come from below and from above."

"Oh yeah, just...ignore...me?..." Lincoln began to complain but stopped as noticed the sky above. Clouds seemed to have started rolling into a circular pattern above them.

"Entities loving who wish me well," Lucy continued and put her hands to the air as the clouds circled slightly faster, "Come to this circle from heaven or hell!" Lincoln put his hands in front of his face. He wasn't quite sure if the motion of the condensation high above had been linked to the ritual or not but he felt it best to prepare for whatever might come of it if it were. They seemed to not have been though. Even with Lucy's arms extended, the clouds' rotations slowed. Nothing seemed to have happened.

"...ummm..." he drolled in the disappointed wait, "...is something gonna-"

"Groan...this would work fine if I had more stuff to work with," Lucy grumbled. In vain she searched around in the sack she had procured from her corpse within the hole, but all that lay within was the purple dust that she had charmed Lincoln and herself with.

"Wait, more stuff?" Lincoln whined, "come on! I thought we came out here to get everything sorted out!"

"No no, I-I know I can do this! I could feel it working!" Lucy assured him, "I just, I need more to beckon with. Sigh, my own energy is...just not strong enough..." Lincoln smacked his forehead. He couldn't believe that she'd dragged him all the way out into a zombie-infested cemetery only for it to be for naught. What's more, he didn't even know if anything she was claiming was actually true! How was he to know if any spell of her's was gonna save the day? Lincoln looked to the grave where their bodies of that world rested. He didn't know...but if nothing was done they would probably end up just repeating the same fate that that Lincoln and Lucy had. Knowing that it was probably stupid, he walked over and wrapped his arms around Lucy's body from behind. The girl felt a lump crawl up her throat from the unexpected pressure and bit her lip.

"Lincoln, w-w-what are y-you-"

"How'd it go? Blood of my blood?" he murmured. Lucy's mouth fell open slightly. Catching on, she nodded and put her hands to her chest again.

"Blood of my blood, you spirits of love," they chanted together. Lucy hadn't been lying. The moment that they had started speaking, Lincoln could feel something grab him. Well...not him but...him. Who he was. It was like something was tugging at him. Stretching his self from his body.

"Come from below and from above." Had Lincoln not closed his eyes to focus he may have noticed the clouds from earlier starting to swirl more rapidly above them.

"Entities loving who wish me well." As the chant continued Lincoln could feel the link that had been established pulsing, filling him with some otherworldly vigor.

"Come to this circle from heaven or hell!" they finished. The two opened their eyes just in time to see the bolt of energy that shot down from the ring above them. As it impacted the grave that their bodies from that world resided within they were knocked back from the force and rolled across the ground until Lincoln put his elbow out to slow the motion. Lucy shook herself off in the net that her brother's body had formed for her and shakily she got back to her feet. Lincoln took the hand she offered him to help him back up. After checking themselves over for whatever damage might have been dealt to them they looked towards the hole in the ground. The gravestone above it was shattered and smoke billowed out from its opening. Still recovering from the event, Lincoln and Lucy looked around, their senses in search of whatever the surge had heralded. But nothing seemed to have changed aside from the charred alcove in the Earth.

"Well that was great!" Lincoln blurted, "Wasn't that supposed to do something?"

"Lincoln, y-you know it did!" Lucy growled, "You felt it too! You had to have!" The boy rubbed his arm as he looked to the side.

"...yeah well-...what'd it do then? I don't see-"

"It called forth spirits," Lucy replied. Lincoln eyed her.

"Oh it did did it?" he asked, "Well where are they?" He waited for an answer, but the only response he got was the girl's face just staring back at him with her mouth partway open.

"...that...wasn't me..." she told him. Lincoln blinked. Slowly he peeked his head over her shoulder as she turned around. Looking back at them was...her. Lucy. This one however was more...translucent looking. As she floated before them the bushes and trees beyond could be seen through her partly invisible figure.

"Hello," she said.

"Holy shit!" the two solid Loud kids exclaimed, though Lucy's input was more emotionless and monotone.

"You...wanted something?" the see-through Lucy asked. Lincoln and Lucy gaped at each other and looked back up at the specter. "...now I know this isn't your first time seeing a spirit," she muttered down at her look-a-like, "Though I am confused as to how there's another me here..."

"How else? Lisa just decided to do some cloning to fill in the missing kids," another voice grumbled. Looking towards the shattered gravestone they could just barely see a tuft of white hair leaning against the back of it. Lincoln felt an uncomfortable shudder run across him. It was one thing seeing someone else, but realizing the state that he himself was in in that version of world was...a bit uncanny.

"We don't know that," the ghostly Lucy responded.

"Whatever," her Lincoln muttered. The living Lincoln and Lucy were still processing just what all was going on. Though Lucy had anticipated the communion with the souls, it...was still a bit of a shock.

"Actually..." Lincoln said, "We're...from another universe..."

"Ah...I guess you were right about Lisa's doing then," the hovering Lucy notified her Lincoln. Though he'd poked his head over the gravestone at the intriguing twist, his sister's agreement towards the cause of their look-a-likes' appearance plopped him back into his seat where he just rolled his eyes at her. Lincoln and Lucy weren't exactly sure what the issue between the two ghosts was, but the way that the dead girl looked away at her brother's actions illustrated a bit of a rift. Looking at his own version of the girl, Lincoln could feel a bit of guilt. Seeing the distance between the two souls before them...he felt silly to have worried so much about what the hypnosis had reminded him of. So what if there had been awkwardness to his words? It's not like Lucy remembered it nor did he actually believe it meant that much, even if there had been backing to the statement.

Besides, most of it had been true after all in some sense. He did love her. Did he really want to allow such a divide to form between them as it so clearly had, for whatever reason, with the ghosts before them? No. It was just silly little nonsense that'd been spouted in his drugged state. It would be ridiculous to let such a trivial matter lead to the kind of dejecting divide that their doppelgangers displayed. It's not like he had the intent of courting his Lucy. The uncomfortableness was only natural with how long he'd been having to train up to being her "boyfriend" for the approaching event. That nervousness and awkwardness. That was what he had to do away with, both for the sake of their "mission" and their bond. It was part of what he had to endure, and he did not want it to jeopardize the partnership they'd formed because of it, not with how he saw the distance between the them that they looked at. They were already somewhat separate from the rest of their kin. Why should he throw away the fellowship they'd been building up?

His dilemma was nothing when faced with what the them from that world displayed. He'd happily play her "boyfriend" and endure whatever oddities that entailed if it meant avoiding the separation they saw.

"Sigh..." the hovering Lucy said, "while it is appealing to see that some version of us has survived, why is it that you have summoned us back from the grave?"

"We were hoping you-"

"Oh great and wise spirit, we seek your wisdom and guidance," the physical Lucy interrupted her brother. Both he and her other self just stared at her.

"Sigh, I have waited for such recognition for quite a while, but this is just weird. I'm you. You don't have to do the whole presentation for yourself," she pointed out.

"Yeah, and besides. Great? Wise?" the translucent Lincoln commented. The normal Lincoln glared in his direction. It may not have been his Lucy that he was talking about, but the criticism hit all the same. At the least it was irksome to see the expression that the ghost they were talking to wore from the ridicule.

"What is it you desire?" she sighed.

"The world's all messed up. Zombies are everywhere. Lucy-MY Lucy dragged us out here to see if you could help figure out how to reverse it," Lincoln told her.

"Well, that certainly sounds like her," the other Lincoln scoffed.

"Okay, the fuck is your problem dude?" the solid one barked at him. Lifting a brow towards his counterpart, the ghostly Lincoln propped himself up onto the gravestone and glared back.

"I don't know if you put it together yet or not ME, but she GOT ME KILLED," he spat. The living duo took a step back from the announcement which only added to the droop of the translucent Lucy's head.

"...the bite..." Lincoln murmured. He felt the itch run across his arm again.

"I did what I could to halt the infection, but I didn't know the spell to return the zombie to its rest," the ghostly Lucy told them, "it...he...the bites got bad..."

"Yeah, wasn't too pleasant to go that way," the boy's spirit added, "and since the zombie apparently wasn't stopped it just spread everywhere."

"That's what we're here to undo," the solid Lucy told them, "you didn't have your book with you to remember what the spell was. I did. And I made sure to memorize it after that incident."

"Yeah, only got one bite," her Lincoln complimented.

"Well whoopdeedoo for you," his other self sang. Lincoln held up his middle finger at him in annoyance.

"What do you need our help for if you have the spell?" the ghostly Lucy asked. The solid one twiddled her thumbs together.

"I was hoping...since...I looked at the book a few times before the day that you guys got...um...killed...that you might have remembered what we'd need to cast the spell on for it to affect the most number of zombies possible..." Lucy murmured, embarrassed at her forgetfulness, "...it's...been weeks since I took a look at the details. And since you...got killed because of it maybe you might remember those...details..."

"You put the spell on the zombie you brought to life. That cancels out the infection to all the ones that it spread it to," the other Lucy told her. Grinning, the living one looked to her brother who gave her an incredulous look. "THAT'S all that you needed?" the ghostly Lucy said with him. The living one blushed in the reignited embarrassment. "I WISH that was all that I needed to remember back when that happened," the ghost sighed.

"Yeah...woulda been nice..." the ghostly Lincoln murmured.

"Well, if Lisa hadn't needed to use the book as a STEP STOOL," Lucy grumbled as she looked to her Lincoln.

"Hey, I didn't know she was gonna time travel to find it," he refuted. Both of the ghosts jaws dropped slightly.

"...wait...so...YOUR Lisa...was the one that..." the male spirit said putting the details together in his head, his expression ever worsening, "Well, good to know the whole family's fucked up."

"Eh, maybe it's for the best that this me bit the dust," the living Lincoln shrugged directing the other's nasty expression to him but he ignored it as he turned his gaze towards the female spirit, "But how did YOU die? You didn't get bit at all that day."

"She snapped her neck," the girl next to him said. Both Lincolns looked at her. "When I went down to get the bag off of her I was curious myself so I looked her over. The point of breakage indicated that the skull had been forced far enough to the side that it broke apart from the spinal cord." Once the implications had sifted through the boys' heads they turned them to face the other Lucy who looked away. "Thank you though," the living Lucy said. Putting her hands together, she bowed to the ghosts. Though unsure of if the gesture would be appreciated and still thinking over what all had transpired between their other selves, Lincoln decided to do the same.

"Yeah. Now we're sure it'd be interesting to talk some more, but we got a world to fix," he said. Lucy jumped as she felt him grab her hand. For the first time in what felt like ages she saw him smiling. Not a smirk or a dissatisfied grin. A genuine happy smile. Warmly she smiled back and squeezed his hand. Nodding to each other, they grabbed their weapons and ran off towards the edge of the hill. Once they were out of sight, the ghostly Lincoln looked up at his own sister. She had floated down to sit on a rock, but she was still turned away from him. Guilt-ridden, he turned his gaze to the ground.

* * *

"I said give me a few more minutes!" Lisa yelled slamming the door in Lori's face. Crazed, the young scientist ruffled her hair and skittered back over to her desk. With how little of progress she'd made she had also brought out the Assistant-Bot 5200 to help her. Even Lily had carried a bundle of wires and buttons over when no hands had been available. No matter what she tried though, Lisa never seemed to get any closer to recovering her lost subjects. With a frustrated clang, her wrench slammed into the console flickering the glowing portal from its view of the volcano covered landscape to one of a world submerged in water. Lily laughed at the fish-tailed people that she knew swimming around in it. But for Lisa it was just another confirmation of where their siblings weren't.

"Lisa! Have you got Lincoln and Lucy back yet? I need someone to judge my pageanting!" Lola's shrill voice cut through the door to their room grinding Lisa's teeth.

"Perhaps I'd make more progress if you people would LEAVE ME ALONE!" she yelled back.

"Mom! Lisa's yelling at me!...and she hasn't got Lincoln or Lucy back yet!" Lola called from the other side.

"Lisa! You know you're supposed to get your brother and sister back!" their dad reminded a bit aggressively from the downstairs.

"If you don't we just might have to dock your allowance!" his wife added.

"MOM!" Lola cried.

"Oh right, and don't yell at your sister!" she tacked on. Lisa hissed as her eyes closed partway. The interruptions were becoming unbearable. And with how little she had accomplished distractions were not what she needed. Angrily she pounded her console to flip the view to another world. This one displayed people with mechanical body parts built into them. Lily laughed again. At least someone was getting enjoyment out of the dilemma. Sadly, Lisa had lost the ability to properly search the worlds quite some time back. She only had so many drones to send out. The rest of the search had comprised of her simply spinning the portals around to see if Lincoln or Lucy had been smart enough to stay within the vicinity of the portal to wait for potential rescue. Be it by her misfires or their "stupidity" however, they never felt fit to show their faces in any of the searches.

"Yo shrimp! Where's Ms. Brooding and Stinkin' at?!" the closest thing the family currently had to a middle child hollered as she banged on the door. Next to her Lana stood ready with a wrench. They may have wanted to stop the inevitable disaster they'd bring to the town, but not like this. They were still family.

"I'm sorry, I can't seem to find them over ALL THESE INTERRUPTIONS!" Lisa yelled back. Adjusting some buttons on a locating device she was putting together she hit her console again flickering it to another universe. The terminal had become so used and worn in her efforts that she didn't even need to operate it to change its settings any longer. And with how vast the search had gotten there was little difference between switching to a random universe and picking one out manually. The one it had landed on seemed to be a world of cheese.

"Lisa! If it's the martians they're with tell them I have the suit in the closet!" Leni said, apparently having joined Lynn and Lana at the door.

"Brah, you really ain't got em back yet?" Luna asked.

"Come on guys, let the girl "tinker" it out," Luan laughed.

"Lisa you like literally have a few minutes!" Lori yelled. Her eye twitching, the second youngest Loud grabbed a hammer and let loose a violent cry. Over and over she brought the object down on the terminal to the portal.

"Why won't you show up?! WHY WON'T YOU SHOW-"

BANG! The hammer wouldn't come back up. Lisa's pupils shrunk as she looked at the hole in the console that she, in her crazed aggravation, had created and lodged the instrument in. Time seemed to stop as the girls on the other side of the door finally broke through it and landed in a pile behind the gawking baby. With Lily they watched as the portal warped and collapsed leaving nothing behind but the clean view of the wall it had been mounted on. All eyes turned in disbelief to the girl that had made it, her own eyes on them from where she stood red-handed at the terminal that controlled the portal as smoke now sputtered out of its malfunctioning form.

"...so how ya doing?" Lisa asked with a shaky smile.

* * *

"I can't believe that you did that!" Lynn growled at the little green-clad scientist.

"How can you pin this on me?! It wasn't THIS VERSION of me that did it!" Lisa argued.

"No, but it was you!" Lola yelled, "which means you WOULD have done it if the book hadn't been taken!"

"Like, I think you're all overreacting," Leni commented, "If Lisa wants a book I don't see what the problem is. It's not like the library will let her walk out with them anymore. She needs to get them somehow."

"That's not the point brah!" Luna said slapping her forehead while Lisa glowered at the input.

"Um...what's going on?" a male voice asked. The gathered siblings and friends looked to the rear of the defense-box they'd taken up residence in to see the boy and girl that had departed about half an hour before as the door shut behind them. Lincoln and Lucy braced themselves as the crowd of excited, and partially angered, faces charged at them.

"So? So? Did you figure out what ya needed to do?" Lana exclaimed jumping up and down around them.

"About time you got back loser!" Ronnie Anne said hugging Lincoln.

"I was about to go out there and find you myself!" Clyde told him, though his fathers' expressions didn't seem to agree.

"Lincoln and Lucy Loud!" their father said sternly. All eyes turned to him. "I can not believe you did not tell us everything that you knew!" Lucy and Lincoln looked at each other unsure of what they were being accused of, but were nonetheless hesitant.

"What are you-"

"This world being the way it is because your Lisa took Lucy's stupid spellbook from this one!" Lynn said. The pair cringed at each other, but they looked around the crowd in confusion as to how the others had found out about the information. Before Luan and Lola could change their own guilty faces they gave each other, Lincoln and Lucy drilled their startled annoyance into them.

"We...overheard ya in the car," Lola murmured.

"Yeah, for being the queen of quiet, you sure were "batty" about chatting it up back there," Luan laughed, though her jovial diaphragm quieted from the tense silence around her.

"So you probably aren't gonna be surprised at what we found of us then," Lincoln sighed. Luan and Lola shrugged.

"You said something about the you guys from our world being in there?" Lola asked, legitimately surprised.

"Wait, did you hea-" Lincoln began to ask legitimately surprised, though Lucy's more alert senses clamped her hand over his mouth.

"We were just...wondering between each other what had happened to the us from your world when we were in the van," Lucy told them a bit quickly. With the topic changed to the whereabouts of the lost Louds, the others looked on with bated breath.

"...and?..." Luna pressed.

"Well..um..." Lincoln mumbled scratching the back of his head. Most of the others began to drop their's.

"Like, what's wrong guys?" Leni asked everyone.

"They're dead you dolt!" Lola barked, the rim of her lower eyelids wet. Leni tilted her head to the side and looked at Lucy and Lincoln.

"...but they're right there," she said. Tears of her own having begun to form, Lori shook her head and put an arm around the less-intelligent girl's neck.

"Well that's just great!" Lynn huffed, "so this whole trip was for nothing!"

"No it wasn't," Lucy told her.

"How not?" Ronnie Anne's thick-hipped older cousin asked, "you said we were coming to get help from the you guys in our world. They're dead."

"And we brought them back," she replied. Almost the entire group jumped at the response. "Well...not them exactly, but their spirits. They're ghosts now," Lucy explained, "and we did the get the information we needed to undo this." Whatever issues the group had with the revelations were forgotten in that instant. The unexpected assurance had taken everyone aback, but as some took part in the elated relief others settled into more uncomfortable demeanors. "I had the right spell and everything. We just needed some info on how to get it to work...correctly," Lucy told them.

"Alright, then let's bust out some chairs and watch the bodies drop," Lynn grinned, her previous irritation reversed.

"Eh...yeah not that simple," Lincoln winced. The irritation returned causing Lynn's arms to fall back down. "We have to use the spell on the zombie that was resurrected originally. That'll get rid of all the others it passed onto."

"And do we know where this hombre is?" Carl asked. Lincoln and Lucy looked over their shoulders towards the cemetery they'd come from.

"Oh don't tell me you were trying to "wake" him again," Luan grumbled. The others looked at her, though Lucy and Lincoln's stares held a hint of annoyance to them.

"You know where the zombie is?" Lori asked, surprised by the jokester's presumptions.

"Yeah, it's in a crypt near the center of the cemetery," she sighed before twisting her face into a more goofy expression, "But be careful on the way there! Ya don't want to meet a "grave" fate!" The group let out a collective groan to the added quip.

"Alright, so we literally drive in, break into the crypt, take this creep out with the spell, and save the world," Lori summarized. After thinking it over for a second, Lincoln and Lucy nodded to her.

"When you put it like that it sounds pretty simple," Lincoln confessed.

"Well alright then!" their father exclaimed hopping over to the van, "You kids ready to end this?"

"YEAH!" they all cheered.

"Casagrandes! We ready to show these corpses how to party Great Lake City style?" Ronnie Anne called thrusting her fist into the air. Eagerly the rest of her family did the same with a cheer of their own.

"McBrides! We ready to not die?!" Clyde joined in. A bit less eagerly his dads did their best to give an agreeable reaction, though Clyde put his hands on his hips confidently all the same.

"Hold on, are you guys...all sure about this?" Lincoln asked, "I mean...NONE of you have any hesitation? It's the final confrontation and you're a-okay?"

"Lincoln, it's ONE zombie in a cemetery which really doesn't look too bad considering the other places we've had to hole out in before," Lori told him as she stepped into the van, "When you've lived in this hell as long as us you want it to be over."

"Yeah, now get your asses in the van," Lynn said as she hopped into it.

"This theoretically should go just fine," Lisa calculated, "We likely don't even need any of the troops that we brought with us. You all just stay and continue to defend the way into the cemetery here. Our families should have this done in a little bit." Almost everyone had shunted into their respective vehicles by the time Lincoln and Lucy finally moved. Any worries they might have had for the families didn't seem to matter much with how insistent the others were on tackling the issue. And besides, they'd seen the cemetery themselves only minutes before. It's not like it was crawling with an unmanagable amount of the bodies.

Lucy likely would have dwelled on the carelessness of their team's excitement a bit longer had her body not been moved for her. She was surprised to see Lincoln pulling her in a jog to the van which he yanked her into as it roared to life. She hardly had time to register which people her body had hit before the various hands and body parts from the siblings carried her in a wave towards the back where she and Lincoln were deposited. As they passed, the civilians left behind to defend the area saluted at the vehicles that had begun departing through the exit in the defense's barrier. Of them Lucy could see Borris and Bertrand of the Morticians Club waving with their own customized gothic weapons.

As the van rolled through the broken gates of the cemetery Lucy could feel an unusual sense of anxiousness. She wasn't used to feeling such nervousness for such a simple apocalyptic premise, but the way that the others were so willing to just dive into her realm of terror, it was...very unusual. With how her family normally was they would just shrug off her interests as creepy nonsense, but with it encompassing their lives they just charged straight into the danger. It was almost...too crowded. She liked not being on her lonesome in her journeys of terror, but at the same time, there was some...harmony to be had for a more...isolated party. There was an appreciation of peace when she had only herself to contend with. Maybe Lincoln if she were lucky.

Looking to him, she could see discontent on his face as well, but not nearly to the extent that she felt she had had. It was likely the excitement of the situation pressing him on, but she knew that he too felt some regret about the whole ordeal. Even if she had been the one to initiate everything, he had had a hand in the venture on that day. To have everyone else throw their lives into the fray for it felt...it pricked at her conscience a bit. But like her, Lincoln knew they had little say in the matter. When push came to shove, the family stuck together and tended to support each other. And whether it be to their slightly more inclusiveness towards him or his more mature nature, Lucy knew that he accepted the assistance easier than her.

She could also see something else in his face though. A confidence that hadn't been there before. Even as gunshots warded off the zombies that approached from where the Casagrande vehicles behind the Louds had attracted them, Lincoln sat with a stern look of determination. He had a different air about him than that which he had carried throughout most of the day. Ever since their arrival in that world...no, ever since the night prior he had been much more...difficult in his encounters with her. When she'd approached him he'd try to look away. When she'd try to talk, he'd dampen his eye contact. But now? There was none of that. There was no...fear towards the closeness of their proximity. Throughout their stay in that world he seemed to have grown more tolerable. And after their journey into the cemetery, any lingering awkwardness left by whatever the hypnotism had brought him that previous night seemed to vanish. It was as though their meeting with...themselves had flipped off that switch in him. And Lucy couldn't be more thankful for that.

"You turn left up here," Luan told the father as they approached a split in the path ahead. As Lynn Sr. jerked the steering wheel in its direction the family tilted their bodies to account for the shift in gravity it'd bring. Lincoln and Lucy, who were rather unused to the customs of that world's horrorscape, were left to topple into each other as it swerved. Shakily, Lincoln lifted himself up from their fall. He blushed as he noticed Lucy's face buried into his body but smirked and patted her head.

"Comfy?" he asked. Blushing herself, Lucy creaked her body up and turned her face away with a smile.

"Only if it's as snug as where my body rests when it's in the ground," she replied.

"Well, the you from this world seemed to confirm that," Lincoln reminded. Her face hotter, Lucy's unseen smile grew. Yes...he had definitely changed after their encounter with the ghosts. To further test the extent of his teasing, Lucy leaned back up against him again with a soft hum from her throat. "Shall we pick a grave of our own then?" he mused. Lucy didn't care if he could or couldn't see her blush as he wrapped his arm around her neck and tiled his head towards the window to display the various tombstones that lay around them. Lucy was happy to have the companionship that'd been trying to distance itself from her back at her side. She was used to the loneliness of her interests, but it was nice to have a partner in them once more.

Whether or not she would have given a response didn't matter as a zombie slamming itself against their window made them jump to the opposite end of the seat. A blur of light ripped through the body's head and it fell away from the van as Lincoln and Lucy looked to Lola who caught her sharp tiara which flew back into her grasp from where she'd thrown it from the window she'd propped herself out of.

"Kids! It's getting rough!" Rita announced from the front of the van, "Have your weapons ready! We may have to go on foot!"

"Where'd all these zombies come from?!" Lana exclaimed.

"Louds, McBrides, CasaGrandes! This is the defense post!" a voice crackled over the radio in the van's dashboard, "too-many! Zombies from every—have to abandon! Get out of-get out! GYAHHH!" A majority of the passenger's eyes dilated at the screams on the other end as the feed cut out. As if on cue the van started to shake more violently. Clyde and his fathers were already running as best they could through the hordes forming around the convoy.

"Ding dang darnit!" Lynn Sr. growled as he slammed his fist against the steering wheel, "do we really have to bail on this?!"

"Of "corpse" not!" Luan said. Not a hint of humor lay in her voice as she pointed ahead. Lucy and Lincoln's eyes lit up at the sight. "That's the crypt! It's only a little farther away!" she told them. Even the most prepared of the passengers wobbled a bit at the latest shake to the van. But their goal was in sight, and with or without their transport they were going to get to it. Hestitation gripped Lucy and Lincoln as they looked at each other.

"You sure you got the spell down and how to do everything right?" Lincoln asked her. Lucy nodded.

"Just gotta get to him is all," she responded. The zombies around them rocked the vehicle in slow-motion as they stared at each other. Lincoln was the first to hug and Lucy rubbed her face against his neck as she returned the embrace. She may have, on some unacknowledged level, felt some form of fear, but at least she wasn't alone.

"We only got one shot at this," Lisa said typing away on a computer that she'd hooked up into a torn-out part of the van's interior, "Hopefully the Casagrandes get the idea. I'm overloading the systems of the van to send out a wave to knock the zombies back. It'll only be a few seconds and short out all the equipment within a half a mile of us, but it'll at least stun them enough to hopefully slip by on foot. Everyone get ready!" Once the initial surprise of the described act had passed, the family scrambled to collect up their weapons and get their hands onto the doors. Lincoln could see Ronnie Anne's family doing the same in the car behind them after they, he assumed, had seen them doing so. Lucy squeezed his hand causing him to turn his attention to her and, realizing her worry, he squeezed back. They smiled as the lights of the vehicle flickered and went out.

Lincoln wasn't sure if it was the intensity of the scene or the impact of the wave that rushed outwards from the van that quieted the area, but for whatever reason the world that he and Lucy hopped out into was plagued with an inescapable silence. The entire family charged for the crypt in front of them as the zombies that had surrounded the vehicles stumbled about trying to recover from the wave that Lisa had rippled through their ranks. In the sea of decaying bodies that wobbled on either side of them the run they made felt like wading through quicksand. Each morbid visage dragged the sense of time down further. But as they jogged they also heard. Slowly the moans and shuffles of the life-threatening masses crawled back into their eardrums and the pace picked back up.

Well, for most of them. As the racing Louds made it to their destination, Lana spun back around to face the following horde with her jaggedy wrench.

Lincoln jerked to a stop causing Lucy to flop in the air for a moment from the hand that grabbed her's.

"Brah! What are you doin'?!" Luna called as the Casagrandes began to filter in through the door behind them.

"You guys go! I'll buy you time!" Lana told them as she scowled at the crowd, "I wanna go out like Pop Pop!"

"Oh like hell!" her twin spat. Lana let out a cry as Lola grabbed her by the ear and dragged her inside behind Lincoln and Lucy. As she bounced along in the pull, Lana could have sworn she saw another Lincoln and Lucy floating through the air, though that was likely due to the jiggling vision in her step. With a slam the families forced the doors to the building shut once the final members had entered. Most of the older ones just barely held it in place from the building pummels from the other side. Hastily, people looked around for blockage to substitute for the force of the bodies against the door. Spotting a large beam of wood, Bobby and his uncle carried it over to the vibrating door and slid it into the hooks that were bolted onto it effectively locking the ancient entrance.

The group sighed as they fell away from the rattling door. It may not have been a permanent solution with how many zombies seemed to have been making their way over the hills of the cemetery, but it did give them some reprieve.

"You guys should've gone on without me! I totally had them!" Lana whined.

"You moron! You were going to die!" Lola yelled.

"Ya know senorita, you did look mighty brave out there," Carl commented leaning into the scene. In annoyance both twins punched him in the face.

"That was insane!" Lynn cried as she fell to her knees trembling.

"Yeah guys I uh...I'm not sure we're getting out of this..." Luna murmured as she wiped some blood from her guitar. A few from the group jumped as they heard some groaning from around the corner from where they'd entered. Looking to each other, Carlota and Leni nodded and approached the bend with their weaponized fashion accessories. Those that weren't too worn from the race prepped their own items and started towards the bend. Letting out a couple of high-pitched war-cries, the fashion-savvy females leaped around the corner and flailed their dangerous clothing items. A few male cries could be heard as the girls attacked.

"Whoa girl! Stop!" Carlota exclaimed.

"Leni! What are you doing?!" a younger guy's voice hollered.

"Saving you from the zombie," she replied. After some struggling, the blond was thrown back into the open and the rest of the families came into view from around the corner. Some of them jumped backwards at the scene before them. Laying against the wall of the building, now bruised and battered, were Clyde's dads. Howard though was much worse for the wear. Many of his injuries were clearly obtained from before Leni's assault on them. Below him a small pool of blood had started to collect and heavy bags hung under his eyes. His arm was likely where the injury had been dealt to him as an unusual amount of red had stained through it.

"Dear lord..." Carlos said putting a hand to his mouth.

"At least you all made it," Howard choked coughing up some blood.

"What did I say about talking?" Harold told him, his voice a bit weak. Howard just smiled. Clyde was clearly doing what he could to keep from crying.

"Hold still," Ronnie Anne's mom said bending down next to the man. As quickly as she could she got out her first aide kit and Lisa scuttled over to his other side to set up some more sophisticated equipment to work with.

"Even if you patch him up he's still been bitten..." Clyde told them, "There's...he's..."

"If we get to Gip and reverse the spell it should get rid of the infection if he hasn't turned yet," Lucy said.

"Gip?" Ronnie Anne asked.

"It's the name of the zombie this crypt is for," Luan grumbled remembering her "punishment" for her trickery of her younger sister and brother on their first excursion to the location.

"Then you all get going," Maria ordered.

"But mom!" Ronnie Anne exclaimed looking towards the rattling entrance as she clutched the arm of the woman that checked over Howard with a stethoscope.

"No buts, the rest of you have to get this thing dealt with if we want any chance at keeping him human," she said.

"Don't worry squirt, I'll keep her safe," Bobby assured his sister.

"What? Bobby no, you have to protect your-"

"She's got two families with her," Bobby said cutting his mother off. The older Santiago wanted to protest, but looking to the massive group around them she couldn't make much of an excuse. One stepped forward from it however.

"Bobby-boo-boo-bear!" Lori cried as she grabbed his hands.

"Oh Lori, I..." the two closed their eyes as they bumped their foreheads together. Most of the younger children rolled their eyes or hung their jaws in disgust.

"You guys go on without me," Lori waved to the rest of her family.

"But there's like lots of people wanting to get in," Leni said, "They're not even ringing the doorbell. It's like a mob at Reigners." Even if the speaker didn't fully grasp what all that "crowd" was after, a few of the others went to hug those that were staying behind.

"Be careful," Harold warned as a loud bang on the doors of the building jolted everyone back into their departing positions, "before you got in here we heard some moaning further down. There's more in here than just that one you're looking for." The group was more hesitant with their numbers lessened as much as they had been, but they knew they didn't have much time left. Waving to the others they began their run further into the depths of the building with Clyde taking a moment or so more to look at his dads before joining the rest.

Through the stone corridors their footsteps echoed. The bodies of the decreasing band of venturers could be seen through the columns they passed by in the darkened passages leading deeper into the earth beneath the structure. Lucy had hardly realized her position in the pack until they'd made it about a quarter of the way to their destination. Being one of the few that knew of the location it was only natural that she'd be leading the way, but it was still a bit of an odd feeling when the realization hit her. Looking to her side she could see Luan jogging with a surprising look of seriousness to her. Having not found the one she'd expected to see she looked to her other side, but it was a few feet back that she'd find her brother.

Although a flicker of jealousy over the lack of their rekindled compansionship could be felt, sympathy for the girl that Lincoln ran alongside overrode it. After all, who was she to be distasteful towards the girl that the family had been so happy to see him with originally, and especially when her own family was at stake? That was to say nothing of his other friend that ran with him. Clyde was likely the most hurt of all of them with what had happened to his dad. And who was to blame for all the death and destruction? Lucy squinted her eyes beneath her hair. She knew she could only reference Lincoln or Lisa's involvement so much before the finger pointed to the main culprit. While it was true that the world was now a wonderland of the macabre, it was at a price that she didn't care to think about, and though they had avoided it in her world it would've only taken one tiny misstep for their's to have been plunged into the hell they now ran through. A tiny misstep by her.

Some of the group stumbled in their pace but picked their speed back up when they realized how quickly everyone was moving past them. Those of the undeterred ones that did hear simply didn't let the moans affect them, at least not in ways that would show the fear. Unfortunately Carlota, who'd dropped the furthest back, was the first to encounter the arriving undead. She let out a scream as one lunged at her from one of the pillars comprising the hall they'd been running down. With a snap, Leni's barbed scarf slashed its head open allowing the fellow fashionista to proceed, but with how many bodies had begun to swarm behind the group it was only a matter of time before other members would begin to fall into their midst.

In the distance though their goal could be seen! Just ahead lay the chamber that Lincoln and Lucy had traveled to on that fateful day. And inside it the coffin within lay open. From the sides however, zombies shuffled into view, and with the ones following from behind there was looking to be little hope of escape. As the corpses closed in, Luna brought her guitar to her front and slammed her fingers down as hard as she could into the strings. With a force that stunned even her teammates, a bright wave of energy blasted out around her and knocked the zombies off their feet.

"Thank you Lisa," she sighed. Noticing the perplexed look from Lucy and Lincoln she smirked. "Girl knows how to make anti-zombie equipment. Now that's it right?" she asked looking to the chamber. The two nodded. "Get goin' then. I'll hold em for as long as I can!" As the zombies crawled back up she let out another wave of music, this one being directed towards the ones behind them from the head of the instrument that she aimed at them. Leni and Lynn joined her alongside Carlota, Carl, and the adults to fight against the approaching swarm. The rest charged towards the chamber beyond. As they did though, one of the recovering zombies reached out and grabbed Lola.

"Hey! Get off you creep!" she yelled kicking at its head. With a whack of her twin's wrench, the body fell limp, but the interference had given enough time for one that had managed to stand up to make its strike. Noticing the movement, Luan pushed the zombie to the side, but with a hungry grip it clung to her. Her scream shot throughout the corridor as it sunk its teeth into her shoulder. Realizing who'd been attacked, Luna spun her weapon around but that had given the zombies that had decided to move around from the side the opportunity to make their own grab at her. It didn't take much for her to shake them off and clear them away with her instrument, but her needed attention at the commotion at the rear made it impossible to assist her roommate.

"Luan!" the twins cried. Swiftly Lucy and Lincoln sped past them. A konking sound reverberated from the bat that hit the ruined corpse giving Lucy the chance to rip it open with the spade of her shovel. With a fading groan it slumped over backwards and the two scrambled over to the injured girl that lay slumped against the pillar they'd been next to.

"Luan, hold on!" Lincoln yelped as he skidded to a stop next to her. Lola and Lana were clutching each other in fright and sorrow.

"Hey now, don't "fall to pieces" over me," Luan laughed but coughed a bit towards the end as she clutched her torn shoulder, "but seriously, get this thing done. This like hurts...REALLY bad..." The group looked towards the chamber again and their eyes widened as a couple of more zombies shambled towards them. Their movement was interrupted before they could reach them however. Grinding their teeth, Clyde and Ronnie Anne pushed with all their might against the zombies with their weapons.

"GET MOVING!" they yelled. The twins, Lincon, and Lucy ducked beneath the opening that the two provided through the limbs that flailed about. Before they could reach the doorway Lola and Lana had to break off themselves to block two more that jumped in from pillars at the side leaving only Lucy and Lincoln to dive into the room beyond. Even though the families were able to dispatch a few of the attackers every now and then, with each one that fell two or three more seemed to take their place. Realizing how close a few of the zombies had gotten to Lynn, the senior one pulled her back. He was about to criticize her careless placement when he heard his wife call for him and felt something jagged rip into his arm.

"GAH!" he cried clutching the bite-mark as he pulled away, "Ding dang darnit!"

"DAD!" Lynn exclaimed. Furiously she smacked the zombie's head off only to get pulled in by two more that bit her own arm.

"Don't worry Chica!" Carl yelled throwing himself into the feasting couple, "Carlino has got you!" Grinning he smashed through the two corpses with the pipe he'd been carrying. He smugly pulled the girl into his grasp before realizing where he was. Looking around his eyes bulged seeing all of the zombies encircling him. "THIS WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA!" he screamed as they dove at him and Lynn. What he thought was his flesh being torn from his spirit was in fact a rather weaponized scarf that had dug into his skin. To his fortune, none of the zombies made their mark and they were instead pulled back into the circle of the living by Leni.

"MIERDA!" Carl cried upon hitting the ground. Frantically he ripped the cloth off from the wrist that it'd wrapped around.

"It serves you right Hijo!" his mom yelled at him.

"We raised you better than to just throw yourselves into a group of the undead!" his father chimed in. While he received berating from his guardians, Lynn's rushed over to her.

"I did that so this wouldn't happen!" her father cried.

"Lynn, come on dear, look at me. Come on!" Rita repeated patting the girl's cheek. Her failing senses bobbled her eyes loosely in their sockets.

"Stinkin?...stop...stop playing that stupid...Fish Brawler..." she mumbled.

"Dudes! It looks like this might be it!" Luna announced. With each strum of her guitar the shockwaves it emitted had gotten weaker until she'd resorted to simply bashing it against the zombies more often than not. The people huddled around the injured closed their eyes to brace for the unimaginable pain. But it never came. Instead their eyes popped back open as they heard a familiar voice. A voice that should be have been in another room entirely.

"Oh dear...zombies..." an emotionless girl exclaimed as energetically as she could. A number of the horde along with most of the people fighting looked towards the opposite direction of the crypt-chamber. Standing there was what appeared to be Lucy. Ignoring the confusion as to how she'd even gotten over there, the Louds and Casagrandes couldn't believe what she was doing. As if to draw attention she waved her arms and bounced up and down. Taking the bait, a number of the zombies broke off to chase after the girl as she seemingly flew off into the darkness of the hall. Seizing the opportunity, Luna led a vicious attack against the remaining undead.

"That Chica is a crazy..." Carl said looking down the hall. Those that were still looking in the direction Lucy had disappeared into jumped in surprise as another Loud floated into the corridor from the out of the wall.

"Relax, not like they're gonna be able to hurt her," Lincoln's ghost told them. Once Luna had dispatched her latest kill she yelped and blasted a wave from her guitar at the spirit. He drooped his eyelids at the welcome. "Or that would be able to hurt me..." he added.

"L-L-Lincoln?" Lana stuttered. Lola put her hand over her mouth at the sight of the translucent figure.

"Hey," the departed boy waved. Their parents just gaped in shock at him. "Don't worry about the ones we got off of ya. Lucy's leading them to where we helped Lisa, Bobby, and Lori set up," he told them, "you just keep up the fight here. Hope this evened things out a bit."

"More than you know brah!" Luna told him as she cracked her guitar into a zombie's chest cavity.

Within the chamber beyond, the living Lucy and Lincoln had had their own hassle to deal with. Once they'd made it inside the walls had been lined with zombies that had seemingly been waiting for guests to arrive. Thanks to the charm Lucy had placed on them it made getting around the corpses slightly more easy than it had been for the others, but in such confined quarters it had proven to be more trouble than it'd been worth. The two's backs hit together as they backed up towards the center of the room. Looking over their shoulders they noted the zombies on each other's side and nodded to each other. As the zombies dove at them they spun around and swung with their weapons. The ones that Lucy had struck collapsed to the ground beyond her in a liquidy mess while Lincoln's prey flopped around in broken shambles.

"Okay...so no Gip...tons of zombies...people sound like they're dying out there...this is going just great!" Lincoln commented as he swung at one of his victims that had managed to get back to its feet.

"We still don't know if it's a lost cause. Have we checked everywhere?" Lucy asked slashing at another zombie that appeared from a hole in the corner of the room.

"Well, there's a pillar over there and a pillar over there," Lincoln said pointing to the objects between thwacks from his bat, "And an empty coffin. But no sign of Gip!"

"Well chief, if that's what you wanted you just had to ask!" a familiar raspier voice said. Lincoln's brows lifted as did his body from the hand that grabbed his arm. Lucy spun around, but before she could do anything the Flip-looking zombie bit into the boy's arm.

"GYAHHH!" Lincoln cried. Gip would have probably torn all the way through the limb if the boy hadn't slammed his bat between his eyes.

"Bloody hell kid! You think that's a way to get a good deal on a girdle?" the undead man growled pawing at his injured face and dropping the boy to the ground. With the zombie distracted, Lucy snuck in under Lincoln's arm and helped him hobble off to the backside of one of the pillars. "I don't know how you kids got back here! You should've been the first to turn!" Gip complained, "I even called all the other zombies once I saw that we had company! Rolled out the red carpet and everything and you brats still somehow made it in here!"

"Lincoln, don't worry. We-"

"Lucy, stop talking, we don't have time," Lincoln told her putting a finger to her mouth. Lucy dipped her head downwards with a regretful expression written on her face. Her eyes locked with his though as he lifted her chin back up. "I said we don't have time. This is it," he told her. Noticing the zombies that had made it through the cracks in the walls that had begun searching for them he gulped. After their entire journey to get back home it could all just end there. If something went wrong, if they didn't undo the spell fast enough...it could have all been for nothing. Thinking it over in his head, Lincoln's face flushed slightly. Earlier in the day he would have been more hesitant, but with death just inches away and after the whole ordeal, he found it more appropriate to repeat the actions he'd tried to distance himself from. Lucy joined in the color of his face as wrapped his arm around her neck and rubbed his cheek against her's.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear, "...you're my favorite sister." Lucy's face maddened in its hue. Given the closeness and wording it was predictable how her complexion would look when they pulled apart.

"Um...I uh...love you...too?..." she murmured more hesitantly, "Y-you're...my favorite brother..." Giving a half-hearted smirk Lincoln shook his head and Lucy looked to the side in embarrassment.

"Lucy," he said conking his forehead against her's. The girl bit her lips into her mouth. "Kick his ass already."

"Hm?" she hummed.

"Where are you brats at? Ol' Gip ain't too kind on the riff-raff!" the decayed voice hollered.

"Oh r-right," she mumbled, a blush still on her face. Sucking in a deep breath, she exhaled the air and stood up. It was now or never. With one last look to Lincoln she stepped out into the chamber and slid over to the backside of the coffin. She just barely slipped past a zombie. Fortunately she was lost to it senses under her charm.

"Kay, I'm gonna give you til the count of-" Gip grumbled but stopped as he heard something in the back of his ears.

"Through the darksome night, Visions come a-winging," the hushed voice said. Gip darted his head around looking for the source of the voice. "Lo. 'Tis the queen of light. Joyfully singing," Lucy continued, "Solstice-"

"I don't want no Solstice!" Gip blurted. Lucy looked up just in time to see the zombie's hand reach over the top of the coffin and grab her head. Hoping in vain to trick the attacker, Lucy let her body go limp so as to play dead, but the larger figure dealt his assault all the same and sent the girl hurtling into the pillar opposite of Lincoln's.

"Lucy!" the boy cried quietly.

"Now then, I never properly thanked you for bringing me back to the realm of the living did I?" Gip chuckled as he approached her. Rage pumping through him, Lincoln grabbed a rock and stumbled out into the open to throw it. Gip let out a cry as it hit his head and he turned to turn to the still standing Loud.

"Well well, still conscious," he spat. Lincoln looked on in confusion as the zombie grinned at him. "Ya know kid, I've had two bites now, and I really ain't a fan. But maybe my loyal patrons will enjoy ya," Gip laughed. Lincoln gasped and looked to his sides. Zombies had begun to approach from either end. In his anger he must have gotten close enough to alert some that he'd passed by to his masked presence.

"S-...soltice is drawing nigh..." the quieter voice muttered. Both Lincoln and Gip looked at Lucy. She had taken the brunt of the blow, but she was still able to prop herself up on her arm. "Candles are gleaming..." Lincoln could hardly believe she was still pressing on with the spell. It wouldn't last long though with the ancient conman approaching her.

"Hey Gip! I bet your girdles don't even slim anyone down!" Lincoln yelled at him. A spark flowed through the undead man's clouded eye as he turned to the boy. With the other zombies approaching him he could spare some time to snap back at him.

"For your information my girdles work just fine for any woman that isn't a large!" he claimed. Lincoln hung his arms as his face went dumbfounded.

"Welcome are visions..." Lucy said in the distraction. Feeling a grab at his shoulder sleeve, Lincoln pulled away, but the zombie pulled him back allowing a second one to tug at him as well.

"You know your descendant is just as much of a cheapskate as you are!" Lincoln yelled at him. Looking genuinely touched, Gip's expression softened.

"Aw...well at least the family spirit's being kept alive," he sniffed. Lincoln screamed as the zombies began to tear into his skin snapping Lucy's eyes open.

"AND LUMINESENCE!" she yelled. The sudden exclamation spun Gip around to face her.

"Oh right, you. Hope you're enjoying the view cause you're about to-to...guh...gyuh!...GRAHHHH!" Gip screamed. The zombie clutched his head in agony. Her lower face illuminated by her glowing eyes, Lucy focused as best as she could on the decrepit figure. Even Lincoln's screams dulled as the zombies attacking him unclamped their jaws to stare at their master's pain. "W-w-what are y-y-you d-d-doin' to...me?!" Gip cried. The ground shook as he fell to his knees.

"Putting you back where you belong," Lucy answered.

"You are so not getting a discount!" Gip cried. His body flailed and spazzed as blueish flames shot out of the openings in his torn body withering his skin and muscle. The air in the room felt as though it were sucked into him with the eruptions and in a cloud of smoke his form burst into ashes. The zombies holding Lincoln were disintegrated as the wave of smoke washed out through the chamber and raced through the halls of the building into the world beyond. For a time all was silent. Lucy and Lincoln just stared at each other unsure just how to react as the ashes drifted down around them, but as a commotion of voices gathered in the hall beyond the chamber they smiled at each other and laughed.

Lincoln stumbled as he made his way over to his sister and tried to help her up, though by the time she was bending her legs in her weakened stand, he was the one that was needing help. The two made their way to the door flopping around like drunks where cheers greeted them.

* * *

Lisa panted as she crawled. Within the cramped space of the tunnel she'd managed to find she'd been allowed some moments of relief, but it wasn't much. She knew that no matter how much she hid it was inevitable that she would be found out and her pursuers gifted whatever horrors they had in store for her. Under normal circumstances there was little that could frighten her. More than Lucy, but that wasn't saying much. Her intellect and logic insisted on the dispelling of the usual fare of paranoia. But this? She'd never been hunted as before as viciously as she had been within the last hour or so. When she'd turn a corner another would pop out to grab her. When she'd find a closet another would sniff her out. There was no end to her predators.

That too was the case with her current hiding place. While it had given her some moments to collect herself, all too soon she heard the thumps of some of the smaller ones making their way through the tunnels she'd slid into. Praying beyond hope for some miracle she sped up her crawl knowing that it would only attract more attention. But she had no choice. She may not have had much of a chance, but she couldn't just give in to her fate. It was human instinct to try to survive. As the thumps grew to a near impossible frequency behind her, she saw light ahead and threw herself out into the open. Almost immediately she screamed. The others that had been waiting for her dove at where she landed, but she somersaulted beneath them just in time and ran down the hall. Her head spun as she slammed straight into the door that the smallest one opened in front of her and in her disoriented state she was pulled kicking and screaming into the room where the chase had started.

"No no!" she cried trying to squirm out of the grasp of her sisters. Lana shut the door once the others had all filed in, "you can't do this! I'm too important to the science community!"

"You get them back RIGHT NOW!" Lori yelled.

"This is like NOT okay!" Leni added.

"Brah, your little experiment's bummin' me out," Luna glared at her.

" "Orange" you glad it's not me everyone's after this time?" Luan smiled. The three other ridiculers gave her a glower causing her to laugh sheepishly. "Um, what I meant to say is, you're not gonna "warp" your way out of this one!" Rolling their eyes, the others turned their glares back to the toddler. "Nailed it," she said to herself.

"Where are they brat?" Lynn growled from where she'd pinned the younger girl's arms beneath her. Lisa looked at the crowd of fuming faces around her and cringed so hard that her cheeks nearly went up over her eyes.

"The machine! You saw! It broke! I-I-I couldn't find them!" Lisa cried.

"Wrong answer brah," Luna murmured. Lisa struggled as the circle glared at her.

* * *

The scanner that Lisa drifted across Lincoln's arm beeped a few times before she took it away and looked at the screen on it.

"Yep, you should be healing up in no time," she nodded to him. Smiling, the boy rubbed the bandaged appendage. Under the care of both Ronnie Anne's mom and the child genius he felt practically nothing left of the injuries he'd received.

"And I assume your world will be doing the same," he replied. The two of them looked into the hallway as the rest of the siblings ran around. With how long they'd been forced to stay away from the house it was almost surreal for the family to be zipping through its structure again, and with that retrieved normalcy came a whirlwind of excitement the likes of which they had hardly witnessed before. Since the group's rehabitation of the house it'd practically been bouncing off of its supports from the items they'd been taking back to their rooms and the activities they'd been doing. Lola could only grin ear to ear at the improved driving skills she'd picked up for her Princess Car as it sped by.

"Sigh, Lincoln, what do you think? Should I take the extra dresses or no? It's not like the me here needs them anymore," Lucy asked as she poked her head in with the clothing item.

"That doesn't mean I don't want them," the other Lucy told her upon floating through the wall.

"You're a ghost. You don't need material possessions anymore. That's like ghost Lincoln requiring the stuff from his room," the living Lucy retorted. As the two Lucys went back and forth, Lincoln's brows lifted and he walked to the door grinning. It dropped however as he turned the corner to head to his room. His own spirit stood right in front of him, arms folded.

"Nice try," he muttered. Laughing nervously, Lincoln rubbed the back of his head.

"Don't you have a grave to get back to?" he asked.

"Eh, consider it a second house. We're still gonna spend some time with the family," the translucent version of him said, not daring to budge, "besides, good luck getting into the room. Your little contraption you had Lisa build is right around the door." Lincoln poked his head over the clearish figure to get a better look. Indeed the blurs he'd seen through his ghost was a ring not too dissimilar from his own Lisa's portal, and with the ingredients it had needed it was only a little reward from the mall that they'd had to ask for to get it powered.

"Aw man this is soooo cool!" Clyde exclaimed as he jumped up the steps to hug his Lincoln only fall face-first through him. Shaking his face, he sprung back to his feet and put his arms out. "Think of how awesome it'll be the next time we get to see the "ARGGH!" guys!" The ghost practically lit up at the idea and joined his corporeal friend in the bubbling excitement.

"Oh we could give them a real show!" the ghost Lincoln suggested, "you tell them about some haunting and me and Lucy'll lift some things off the ground and fly through some of them!" At the mention of her name the two Lucys looked to them.

"Me?" the ghost asked from the scientist's doorway.

"What? You don't wanna join in? I figured the whole literal ghost thing would be right up your alley," her Lincoln said. Smiling, the ghost Lucy blushed and looked to the side.

"Don't worry, he makes a great teammate when you get him into it," her living copy told her as the boys turned back to their conversation.

"Yeah...I know..." her ghost self smiled, "...thanks for...showing up...I don't know what I would have done if I had to...unlive with him hating me forever."

"I doubt he would have hated you FOREVER..." the living Lucy told her.

"You think?"

"...it's Lincoln..." she reasoned turning so that the ghost wouldn't see her own blush, "...he'd of come around eventually...maybe a century or two but...eventually..."

"This is all well and good, and we thank you for finally getting our world back to normal, but weren't you two wanting to get back to yours?" Lisa asked as she skittered out into the hallway directing the Lucys' view to her. The look-a-likes brought their relieved gaze back up to each other, but beyond it could be felt some regret. For as bizarre as it was, the whole ordeal had been a very unique experience, and one that, though it was a joy to have finished, would be emptying to part with on some level. It needed to conclude though. The two foreign Louds had their own lives to get back to and ordered had been restored to that world. And they weren't the only ones that had heard the talk.

"Guys! They're leaving!" Lola practically screamed from where she'd stopped her car to eavesdrop. Instantly the house bounced around as all the people within it scrambled into the upstairs hallway. With practically no say left in the matter, the living Lincoln and Lucy huddled together near his room to keep from being stampeded by the three families that'd forced themselves into the house once they'd gotten done with the festivities at the mall.

"Hey Louds, good work out there," Mr. Grouse congratulated Lincoln and Lucy as he popped his head out from the stairwell, "Also, I'm taking the lasagna that's downstairs." Lynn Sr. shot him a dirty look as he disappeared back down the steps.

"Do ya have to go?" Lana whined.

"Yeah! You like totally saved our world!" Lori agreed, "Without you we would still be cooped up in that depressing mall!...wow that is something I never thought I'd say..."

"I know, right?!" Leni agreed.

"Yeah, you two sure whipped those monsters," Lynn grinned giving them a thumbs-up from her bandaged arms.

"Goo goo! GOO GOO!" Lily cheered from her mother's arms. Lucy and Lincoln smiled at each other under the continuing appreciation.

"It's been a blast guys but, like Lisa said, we do have to get back home," Lincoln admitted. As the fact set in, the praises died down, but the group still stood decorated with happy faces. Out of them, a girl about Lincoln's height stepped forward.

"Hey...loser..." Ronnie Anne murmured as she shuffled her hands in her coat pockets.

"Hey...Lame-O..." Lincoln replied just as awkwardly.

"...ya know...I came out here thinking...maybe this would be the one chance to really save you and...um... "hang" with ya again..." she coughed kicking the ground. Most of the others around them grinned. The ghostly version of Lincoln squinted his eyes at the girl ghost who had joined in the expression. He wish he'd kept looking at her however as when he looked away he caught the more sorrowful eye of the girl that'd been speaking. He knew she could see the same look on his face. "And...well..." she murmured. The crowd stood waiting in the swelling silence until she placed her lips against the living one. As quickly as she could she backed up and glowered away from the cooing audience. The brief look she gave them though showed her the expression on the ghost version of the boy had now turned to an embarrassed smile, something that she more than happily joined him in, no matter how his Lucy widened her grin at him.

The other Lucy however had felt a bit of a different emotion when she'd bore witness to the kiss. But, for whatever reason she'd felt the disturbance in her stomach, it'd only been for a moment. It was an action that was more than deserved after all, and the two had shared a bit of a history together. There was little need to feel anything more than happiness for the affection. The jeering over the revived flirtations quieted once Lisa had inputted some sequences into a terminal that she'd set up next to her room activating the glowing gateway behind the visitors. Realizing the final moments were upon them the otherworlders smiled to the alternate version of their friends and family.

"Now this should be the correct coordinates to your world if my scans of your signatures were correct for if you ever end up lost out in the multiverse again," Lisa told them as she made her way forward and put a wristband with some numbers and letters onto Lincoln's wrist.

"Now don't talk to any anomalies!" Lori suggested.

"And if you ever end up in a world where there's different styles of outfits make sure you find the me there for tips on how to blend in," Leni added.

"Or just get me to beat up the people giving you the stink eye," Lynn smirked.

"Oh, and air. Seeing if it's breathable is very important," Rita stated. Her husband nodded.

"And when you get back home tell the Lisa in your world to go fuck herself," the ghost Lucy spat.

"LUCY LOUD!" her parents yelled. The ghost sunk her head down into her shoulders as her siblings "oooo!"ed at her. Holding back their own snickers, her living counterpart and her brother turned to the portal. Ahead they could see his room, though a version of it from another world.

"Thanks guys," he said putting his hand into the air. Out of the sides of their vision they could see some of the waves the others were giving them. The girl he'd received the kiss from though he could see was more preoccupied with that world's version of him, and the sight of her smiling at him. His hair stood on end from the wave of loss that he'd suddenly felt and his head titled downwards. Realizing where'd he'd looked to, Lucy mimicked the action for a moment. She knew what he must be feeling with the absence that awaited him in their world. But he at least had one girl that his connection had been growing with. Delicately, she slipped her hand into his and gave it a squeeze. Lincoln blinked and looked down at her. It took a moment, but soon he returned her smile and squeezed back before walking through the portal.

In the goodbyes, Lisa had returned to her terminal and leaned against it for a more casual posture. She hadn't noticed until she'd taken her elbow off of it and deactivated the gateway that the limb had hit against one of the knobs. A light sweat specked her forehead as she looked at the changed numbers on it, but shrugged it off nervously. After all, it was only a few numbers away form the world that their visitors had come from. It should have been similar enough that that one's Lisa could get them home.

Lincoln and Lucy tensed up their bodies as they stepped into the familiar room. In actuality it was no different from the room of the world they'd just been in, but looking behind them they could see the door that should have been open to the family they'd departed from was now closed as well as saw a pinker hue to the coloring of the walls. Noticing their stomachs were just fine, the duo relaxed a bit. At least they knew now that a success trip didn't involve the...illness they'd experienced on their first one.

"So, you think this is the right one?" Lucy asked, "I mean there's stuffed animals and stuff in here-"

"God Loni, get off my back. I got things to-" Lincoln's voice replied. Well...it was clearly Lincoln's voice but...it was...wrong. It was like it'd been pitched an octave or two higher. The two turned around fully to view the newcomer, though Lincoln feared who he knew must have been the true owner of the room. Staring back at them equally as awestruck as Lucy was Lincoln, though...not a Lincoln that had the gender that her's did. The white-haired girl stayed equally as silent in the unbelievable scene that played before both parties' eyes until the boy version of her spoke up.

"NOPE!" he answered. Grabbing Lucy's hand, he pushed his way past the startled girl version of himself and dashed into the hall. As they made their way into the room of the scientist of the houehold, Lucy caught a glimpse of what she could only assume was a boy version of herself walking out of what should have been her room which sent one of the weirdest feelings she had ever felt across her body. The flipped versions of them looked to the door their bizarre duplicates had disappeared into, then at each other, and then back at the door again before charging towards it along with the rest of the brothers that had been in the hall to witness it.

"What in god's name is this?!" the boy Lisa of that world screamed clutching his chest as he gripped the crib he'd backed up into, "What type of spell did you cast on-"

"Wait, this wasn't you that did this?" the girl Lincoln asked from the doorway. The boy Lisa looked to the gathered audience as the remaining Louds that hadn't seen the invaders finally joined the congregation. Whoever they were, their "Linka" certainly seemed to have experience with the portal that Levi had been working on. Their "Lars" though just continued to stare at the group with as much dumbfounded fascination as they had towards her and her brother.

"Okay, got it going!" Lincoln growled. The group jumped back as the portal flashed to life. Lincoln would have changed it if the universe it had opened to hadn't paused him. What showed before them seemed to be a view of the downstairs, but in it what appeared to be a ninja with dark skin beneath his outfit and glasses cracked open the front door and slipped in. Almost immediately female ninjas of various sizes and outfit colors leaped in from behind potted plants, the fireplace, and the couch with swords and other weapons drawn. The intruder bent his knees into a fighting stance, but before the conflict could commence a young male ninja in orange dressings dropped from the ceiling and put his hand up. Respectfully his siblings lowered their items and the dark-skinned ninja bent his knees to offer what appeared to be a comic to him. Taking the reading material, the orange-garbed ninja bowed as did his sisters.

While Lincoln did find the scene entrancing to watch, he was the first to break from the view and quickly input the sequence that the Lisa from the previous world had put on his wristband. Instantly the portal flashed to a view of another room, this one of Lisa's with all of her siblings minus himself and Lucy gathered around her. Figuring that the Lisa from the world they had come from must have been smart enough to set the destination to her room in whatever universe it would have led to, Lincoln bounced over to Lucy and grabbed her hand.

"FINALLY!" he cried but was jerked back, "What the-"

"Not yet," Lucy muttered. Lincoln gave her a startled look but once he'd looked back to the portal he'd realized the reason for her stalling and folded his arms over his chest to join in her glare at the scene.

"Okay it was one thing when you took my tiara to use as some stupid gear in your Stew!-...curry!...tank!...thing!"

"Chicken Noodle Soup Tank," Lisa corrected.

"I'M YELLING AT YOU!" Lola screamed shrinking the girl back into the center of the circle, "But you have gotten our brother lost in-"

"And sister," Lynn interjected remembering her roommate.

"-and SISTER lost in some endless expanse of time and space!" Lola screeched.

"Yeah, not gonna lie. They might be...odd sometimes," Lana murmured sharing a glance with Lynn, "but that ain't cool."

"But it wasn't-I didn't-" Lisa stammered as her mind raced. There was no way out. The machine was busted and she had been cornered right back into her room when she'd tried to make her getaway. She could have tried getting the Asssitant-Bot 5200 to distract them, but against the entire family there was little chance of success, and she'd most likely have only been prolonging the inevitable. In the world that watched them, the boys gawked in disbelief as what looked to be girl versions of themselves screamed at the Levi of that world. The boy scientist though had realized just where the Lars and Linka that had activated the portal must have come from, as did some of his older brothers for however flabbergasted they were.

"You know normally I'd make a joke," Luan said putting her hands on her hips, "But that was Funny Business Inc.'s best assistant and my theater apprentice. And you've probably lost them forever!" Lisa turned where she sat over and over again to watch for which sister would reach her first in their imposing approach. Lynn rolled up her sleeves while Lori cracked her knuckles. Tears welled up in the toddler's eyes.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she cried, "I didn't mean it! It's my fault! I messed up! I'M SORRY!" As the girl devolved into literal sobbing Lincoln and Lucy looked to each other in satisfaction and nodded. As casually as possible they approached the portal. Before Lincoln had fully gone through it however, he picked up a wrench off of Levi's worktable and threw it at one of the switches on the control terminal closing the portal as he made his exit. Just as Lisa began to disappear from view in the enclosing ring of sisters, they stopped.

"Well, nice to finally be back," Lucy said emotionlessly. Her sisters turned to look at her and Lincoln who waved at them. Lisa was no longer the only one with tears in her eyes as the group charged and smashed them against the wall with their embrace.

"Whoa, hey!" Lincoln yelped, "Guys calm down-"

"Where were you two?" Luan cried rubbing her cheeks against their's.

"How'd you just appear here? Is this some vampire trick?" Lana tried to accuse through her relief.

"Like, you literally had us worried to death!" Lori sobbed. Lola couldn't even talk with how much she was crying. Though Lucy would have insisted on the discomfort, it felt kind of nice to have the others smashing their bodies against her's for once. Behind the rest of the group, Lisa just looked in shock at the reappearance of her lost test subjects as the tears that had been dripping down her cheeks began to dry. She had no idea how they had come back, and just as she was about to probably be killed for their disappearance, but she would forever be grateful for it. With some resistance, Lincoln and Lucy eventually got the kissing and hugging to subdue leaving their focus on the short girl that hadn't joined in. The entire group had some distaste towards her.

"Well, it's about time you two found your way back," Lisa said putting her hands behind her back as she got to her feet as if nothing had happened, "Do you know how long I've been having to look for-"

"Oh shut it brainiac," Luna scoffed, "It's great to have you dudes back." Lincoln and Lucy blushed under the affection the ring of Louds had been giving them.

"Indeed," Lisa agreed as quickly as she could, "Now which universe did you end up in? Where's the footage? What was it like there? Have you-"

"Seriously?" Lola gawked, "THAT is YOUR concern? After what you just went through?"

"Traumatizing errors aside, are you telling me you aren't interested in where they ended up?" Lisa replied. While the group still held their resentment towards the girl that had started the whole incident, they would have to admit their curiosities. Reluctant and curious, they group looked towards the brother and sister that had reunited with them. Lincoln and Lucy looked to each other ambivalently, but knew that the only answer they could really give.

"Okay, this is gonna take a while to tell," Lincoln sighed. His eyelids lifted slightly as he felt a hand grab his and give it a squeeze. Squeezing back he smiled. He didn't even think about how he'd have to mention the footage he'd forgotten to collect in the chaos. The other sisters just eagerly took their seats as the stars glistened in the sky outside.

-end of chapter-

And THIS was the chapter that was meant for Halloween. Shows you just how off-schedule everything can get with me. Either way, it was pretty fun. I almost instantly figured out what the title would be when I started thinking of names for it. But yeah, talk about an excuse to get out of school for a day. May not have been the safest distraction, but I'm sure Lucy and Lincoln found it more exciting than having to sit in class. Hopefully you all did as well. Now that they're back home though that Ball they've been preparing for is not too far off. Not nearly as much danger to come after this, but there's still some preparations left before the big event.

See ya then.


	15. Rise of the Resistance

Chapter 14: Rise of the Resistance

Atop a sloping hill, a young girl sat beneath the glow of the moon up above. She watched as a colony of bats made their way across its beams and followed their shadow downwards as they painted the land beneath. With the tolls taken on her body from the previous day, she almost would have cared for a different view. Almost. Due to the absence of the tainted bodies of the deceased scowering the graveyard's visage however, it retained it's sense of welcome to her, for however much it might have been dented. One way or another, there would always be some relief to be had from the sight of grounds as hallowed as those.

Knowing full well that it wasn't the graveyard of Royal Woods, Lucy had given some thought to raising the dead to make her trip easier as she had on past excursions within its mental confines, but there were limits to what such experiences as the ones she and her brother had taken part in would allow. Feeling it best to leave the corpses where they lie, she instead opted to walk the trails towards the center of the graveyard with her own feet. Within the fantastic infinity of gravestones she felt nothing of the weight of her bruises from the realm of the conscious. She practically skipped through the trails of resting souls. Her smile ebbed from her face slightly as she looked around. While it was a truly beautiful sight she had expected a certain white-haired boy to be running by her side, whether it be due to his accompaniment in the past to their world's graveyard or their race through the other world's the day before.

With the futile hope that it might summon his competition, the bounce of her travel shifted into a more pressing run. As she came upon a sizeable tombstone, she slowed and looked behind her. Nothing. She felt almost silly in having believed she might have been able to elicit his attendance. Thankfully there was no one around to have seen her. Such foolishness was more reserved for her younger sisters...well, at least those that didn't have an IQ exceeding a computer's. Sighing to herself, Lucy kicked a rock along the path. And she stopped. She had just sighed. She hadn't said the word, she'd given a very literal sigh. Be it it was in the fantasy of her mindscape, but it was a sigh nonetheless. She scrunched her face slightly as she started her walk again. Perhaps she had been spending too much time interacting with others as of late. If there was one benefit to her isolation it was that her practices were undisturbed by those that didn't partake in them, body language included. Still...was it so bad to have slipped up that once? Her lips curled at the price. It seemed like a pretty fair trade for the companionship she'd been enjoying.

Enjoying...

Feeling that her progress was a bit slower than she liked and not feeling like running again, Lucy lifted her hand into the air and snapped her fingers. In an instant the bats that had flown above the graveyard rushed down and grabbed hold of her body and arms lifting her in a combined effort into the sky. From her vantage point she could make out every detail. Every hill. Every stone. And her destination. The same destination that it always was. She smiled as they went. She didn't even have to physically direct the bats for them to soar as a winged formation towards the coffin standing at the center of the graveyard. With eagerness and excitement she soared. She truly had started to become...happy.

Obviously she'd felt happiness various times throughout her life, but never as much as she had been for the past two weeks. Just journey after journey, trial after trial, and all through it in her endeavors to make her claim on the boy she sought another had accompanied her. He hadn't needed prodding, not by much, and she knew that if he'd fought against it she couldn't have truly done anything to counter it. But he had helped her. He'd helped her because he was him, and because he cared about her. He was one of the few people that would be as willing as he was to come to her aide, and she couldn't count the amount of respect and thankfulness that she had for him. Her lips quivered as they she neared the coffin. She could hardly contain herself as she spotted Edwin standing next to it, his eyes at his wrist as though he had a watch to look at.

The vampire only watched with half-interest as the child's gathering of winged animals descended as a robe around her propping her head out of its top, feet above even the adult level. A stupid grin on her face, Lucy dropped slowly to the ground as the bats dissipated and she approached the coffin. She hardly cared who was in it. While it was true that the boy that she was after was what she would hope for, Lincoln more than deserved his own space within the epicenter of her grave-grounds. Given the type of coffin it was, it was pretty evident as to who might dwell behind its now Mahogany casing. Its structure had shifted entirely from what it had once been a little over a week before and exuberantly she grasped at the door of it, delighted to welcome which body it may contain to her modest abode.

Edwin seemed astounded that she hadn't even waited him to provide his services to open it for her, if not a bit disheartened. But it was her dreamscape, and he could only do as he was allowed within it. The girl hardly even contemplated the ramifications of the change in coffins. Never had the two coffins on her previous journeys to the setting been so complete before, nor as pristine. Such craftsmanship could not be afforded to not be tested. As the lid swung off of its container Lucy's smile shrunk to a small "o" on her face before spreading to a grin again, albeit smaller than it had been. Before her, draped in the garments that he had been dressed in on her last visit to that mentally-constructed paradise, was Lincoln, his hands clasped at his midsection and his eyes closed with the stillness of decease.

Was this the finality of the coffin's look and contents? Was her care for him so intense that he had been imprinted as the bearer of such a space? Or had her view of him as her "partner" become so convincing that even her mind was having trouble viewing it otherwise? Either way it mattered not. She loved him. And he loved her. That was the truth, and that was what she was sure fueled his placement in that land. His presence only proved how far they'd come, and she was sure that with that love their relationship "act" would be a breeze to pull off. And once that had reached its zenith she would know love. True love. Her love. Hardly giving thought to her acts, she pressed herself up against Lincoln's still body and rested her nose against his cheek, her hand grasping at his shoulder.

"Sigh...Lincoln...oh Lincoln..." she hummed as her grin widened, "...my...Lincoln..."in the blissfulness of the fantasy she may as well play into how naturally her part of their "act" came to her, if for nothing else than at least to practice. She didn't even notice the shift in Edwin's face. What had been partial disinterest had morphed to an expression more of disheartening and concern which only amplified as he saw the body in the coffin stir. The motions were not lost on the girl that stood up against it. Unlike before she did not trip or jump at the sight of the dead eyes that fluttered open from the body. Her grin closed into a smile as they peered down at her.

"Welcome to the dreary confines of my cemetery my dear undead Prince of the Night..." she greeted pulling off of him to try and stand on her toes to his clouded eye-level. "Sigh...our dusk is almost at hand," she told him as she stroked his cheek, "and for our toilings, our reward shall be just. In these enchanted grave-lined passages however, you are free to do whatever you wish." Lucy's face was aglow from her wording. She was impressed by how naturally the sentences came and how easily she was tricking her mind into the sincereness her flirtations with the unresponsive form. She could feel that it could hardly tell that there was an "act" being spoken. "...to whatever..." she added quietly, "and whomever you wish..." For a time there was silence. All that was present was Lucy's affection-ridden face for the boy in the coffin. Her role as the "girlfriend" of the pair was infallible. She was sure of that. Had she seen the worried face of the vampire next to the coffin however she may have given more care towards her positioning. What she had thought had been tricks in her vision confirmed themselves as real fidgets of the boy's eyes and brows as its analysis of her face continued. She'd never stayed asleep long enough to see what might happen after the corpse had "awoken" before. But the peers across the girl's face and body seemed a non-issue as Lincoln's expression eventually settled into a smile of his own, though his more eyelid-heavy. And then he opened his mouth. Like a viper his fanged jaws shot forward and clamped down onto the girl's neck as his arms constricted around her body.

"Moan!" Lucy cried, her body shuddering. She could feel the blood seeping from her veins and coating the inside of the boy's hot mouth. "Moan!" As Lincoln's hands settled at the back of her head and waist she couldn't help but throw her arms around his torso. To have her journey into undeath be dealt to her by such an escort was almost more than her body could bear. "MOAN!"

* * *

"Look, it was between you and Dr. Crazy, and since she's on thin ice after last night and with all the weirdness going on over the last week, well...look you ready to take on whatever pops out of there or not?" Lynn asked. Smacking her wrench into her hand, Lana nodded at the older sister. Lynn readied her own hockey stick as they creaked open the door to her room and peered inside. Within they could see hardly anything with how dark it was. Given how early in the morning it had been when Lynn had awoken the younger Loud they knew going in that light likely would not be much in their favor. But still, they had their motive, and it was more time to strike than ever. Or call a doctor...but Lynn had made her decision. Who knew what the sounds from the coffin might herald with the mystical dealings that the young gothic mastermind dealt in?

"You're gonna burn in hell for disrupting my beauty sleep," Lola snapped as she walked towards the bathroom behind them. The two girls hardly paid her any mind as they slipped into the room. To Lynn's delight, the coffin looked to be exactly as she had left it, though the noises it emitted had remained the same. The sisters looked to each other, brows furrowed, and nodded. With one swift motion, Lynn smashed her foot into the side of her roommate's resting case. And they hopped back to take cover next to Lynn's bed. For about half a minute they watched, weapons readied, as the noises within the coffin warbled to a stop and the lid began to stir. The objects within the girl's hands shook with the tightening of the digits around them as the lid lifted into the air and fell to the side with a clack. Lynn and Lana's dilated pupils looked to each other while the hairs of their neck stood up. Were they ready? Could this actually be the confrontation they had so vehemently anticipated? And if so...who would walk away the victor?...and more importantly the...defeated?... As the shadowy figure within the coffin rose from its slumber, the ones that had disturbed its rest leaped forward with their weapons raised above their crazed heads.

"Sleep induced grumble. What's going on?" Lucy murmured as she rubbed an eye beneath her hair. Once she had looked to the ones that had moved the coffin all that she saw were the faces of two of her sisters grinning back at her.

"N-n-nothin'...w-we were just-...just," Lynn stammered nervously.

"We were seeing h-how you were doing," Lana finished. Had she been more awake Lucy might have questioned their hesitant nature, but under the cloak of emerging back into the world of the living she could only shake her head about as her senses climbed back to reality. Lynn nudged Lana's arm signalling for her to dispose of the weapons they'd hidden behind their backs when the girl they'd summoned had awoken. Once the objects had dropped to the ground they kicked them under Lynn's bed.

"W-...what are you...yawn...talking about?" Lucy mumbled. The other two sisters were rather surprised. They had not expected, with the noises that had been coming from the coffin, for her be so distanced from consciousness.

"Well, there were all these "moans" you were saying in there," Lynn told her. If Lucy had had any connection left with her dreamscape it was lost with that bit of information which caused her cheeks filled with color.

"I...was?..." she asked quietly trying to dip her face below the rim of her coffin to spare the duo a glimpse of the visage beneath her hair, "...s-sorry I...I dunno why I was um..."

"Y-yeah, we haha, we um..." Lana coughed, unaware of just how alike the two parties were in their nervousness.

"S-since ya don't know why you were all "moan moan moan" th-though, we should probably get some hel-HEY LISA! Lucy needs ya!" Lynn hollered out the door. The goth tugged at her bangs as she sunk lower into the coffin. Having the play-by-play of her actions spoken to her was bad enough, but now the mistaken fantasies would earn her a visit from the sibling most qualified in medical assistance. Her coffin let out a thunk as the side of her head hit it in embarrassment and annoyance. It slid upwards once she noticed a shadow hovering over her and saw the glasses-wearing sister of the family looking back.

"I was made to believe I was needed here," Lisa said. Lucy shook her head. Knowing she didn't have much of a viable excuse to get her to leave though, she sat up straighter. "What seems to be the issue?" the intellectually endowed child asked. Studiously she looked over her older sister's form. There didn't appear to be anything amiss compared to how she had looked before taking her slumber, but one could never be too sure. Intent on righting any errors caused by her...goofup from the day prior, Lisa plugged a stethescope into her ears. Lucy's body stiffened as she felt her nightshirt roll up her back exposing her pale skin to the house air.

"Breathe in please," Lisa requested. Lucy did as she was told, mainly due to the ice cold equipment that was placed against her back. "And out," Lisa ordered signalling Lucy's shakey exhale. "In," she said again. This time the inhalation came from a piece of paper that the older girl had spotted to her side. Her drawing. The one of she and...him. Though unsure of what the toddler may think of such a doodle, she found it best not to chance her analytical eyes catching sight of it. As she breathed in she pulled the paper to her front praying that the room's other dwellers weren't watching. "And exhale," Lisa said. With the noise of Lucy's breath covering up the sound, and having nowhere else to really hide it, she slipped the drawing into her pajama pants.

"Well, your respiratory systems seem normal," Lisa murmured, "How's your back feel?"

"Fine," Lucy said searching for a way to dispense with the audience. Thinking on her response for a moment, her head tilted. That...hadn't been the response she had thought she would give. "Wait...yeah...it's...fine..." she repeated more slowly. Curiously she rubbed her back. The part of her body that had suffered the most from the skirmish in the other world felt like nothing at all had even been done to it.

"Science wins again," Lisa smiled victoriously at the handiwork, "You're welcome."

"You-"

"Well okay, it may not have been THIS me that did it, but a Lisa patched you guys up. You didn't honestly think you'd be aching for that long after you'd been nursed by such capable hands did you?" the makeshift "doctor" boasted. Rubbing her back again, the side of Lucy's mouth curled upwards slightly.

"Sigh. Try and try as she might, the little Einstein can't escape the strife," Lucy mused. The reminder of it not having been the victory of that specific version of her did flatten Lisa's confident expression.

"Well you're welcome for the checkup," the smaller girl grumbled as she gave her back a slap, "You're fine by the way." Somewhat jaded to the criticisms after the subduing she'd received from her kin during the inter-universal ordeal, Lisa pulled herself back out of where she'd bent over into the coffin and skittered past the other two older sisters who had been making their way to the door themselves with the distraction they'd brought Lisa in for.

"Man, we almost died!" Lana whispered to Lynn. Viciously she nodded her head at the younger girl.

"Dude, I could've sworn she was going to jump out and just bite into-" Lynn started to say but stopped when the two entered the hallway. Having become curious towards the commotion in the room of his older and younger sisters, Lincoln had paused his trip to the bathroom to stop at Lynn and Lucy's doorway only to come face-to-face with the tomboyish blond and sports-obsessed brunette as they were exiting. For a moment they stared at each other but before Lincoln could say anything, Lana and Lynn slipped by a bit hurriedly, the older one wearing a rather intent glower as they passed. While the wordless exchange had been...odd, Lincoln shrugged it off and stepped into the rim of the doorway figuring that there couldn't be that many sisters left inside. True to his suspicions only one remained, and with the room vacant there was nothing to keep her gaze from him. In the dimness of the room he couldn't make out much in the coloring of the inhabitant but he just assumed she was as chalk-white as ever. Receiving no response, Lincoln leaned against the doorframe and folded his arms over his chest. Grinning at the coffin-bound girl, he waved from where his hand had been tucked beneath his forearm.

Gulping down her returning hue, Lucy put a hand on her own arm and wriggled her fingers at him sheepishly with the other hand. Lincoln looked towards the hall to hide his color, but his eyes slid back to the girl after a few seconds. After he was sure she'd seen his view of her, Lincoln nudged his head towards the exterior of the door a couple of times. Getting the idea, Lucy hopped out of her coffin and started to make her way to the exit but stopped as she felt a rather rough texture against her leg. Blushing, she turned around and reached into her pants to pull the piece of paper she'd stuffed into them out. She gave the drawing a quick hug before tossing it in the direction of her resting-space where it fluttered face-down into the coffin. She was thankful once she'd turned around to see that Lincoln had taken his leave during the stall sparing him the odd pause that she'd taken.

Due to her nature, her head was the first thing to emerge from her room. It didn't take long for her to spot her partner who had gotten in line with the rest of their sisters for the bathroom. Darting her head in the other direction, she made sure that no one else had been approaching before slipping out silently into the open. The only implication that there had been anyone in the direction of Lincoln's room was the door to the twins' chambers that was partly open. Unseen by those in line, she drifted up behind her brother and took to standing. To her surprise, he actually turned his head towards her after a moment and smirked.

"Ya know...I actually could feel ya standing there this time," Lincoln noted, "How long ya been there? Five seconds?" Lucy opened her mouth a tiny bit before turning her grin towards the ground. It was strange, but enjoyable, to have someone becoming more in-tune with a nature of her type. "You really do know how to creep," he complimented.

"You probably say that to all the goth girls," she smiled

"Only the cute ones my dear dreary orchid," Lincoln affirmed quietly. Her face burning, Lucy's widespread grin beamed at the ground. Lincoln shared the heat with his own proud expression towards the successful flirt. After his acceptance of his part in the alliance, the teasing came with surprising ease and excitement. As he'd hoped, the shorter girl in the line in front of them hadn't heard their quieting conversation over the view of herself in the pocket mirror she'd been inspecting her face with. The burn of Lincoln's face flashed again as he felt a slightly colder hand worm its way into his and lock its fingers around his, but, after glancing behind them to confirm of the continued vacantness of the of the hall in the direction of his room, he squeezed back causing Lucy to fall against him. He could feel her breathe as her nostrils inhaled against his shirt sending a ripple through his spine.

"...so...tomorrow's it huh?..." he asked. With the girl's hair partway obscuring his lower face he was treated to quite an air. Though remnants of their cleaning products remained from their wash once they'd returned the night before, the time spent in her coffin had allowed her smell to return to its more natural dry musk atop the pleasant backdrop. The currents of air shifted as the bristles of the girl's scalp rocked back and forth in the nod that she gave him. She stopped as she felt the hand in her's squeeze again and rub its digits affectionately against her's. Lincoln knew there was awkwardness, however slight, to the gesture, but the warmness of their simultaneous wooing provided a comfort that eliminated whatever traces there were of it. There may have been nervousness, but with what they'd been through and the understandings they'd reached it was a pleasantness they coveted. "Guess we're set for the "relationship" bit then huh?" Lincoln said. Lucy's arms trembled as his hand left her's and ran along the length of her back.

"Sigh, with the drapings of darkness you can cloak your brightness with these days, I may just have to follow that other me's lead in a conjoined burial," Lucy joked. Feeling both creepiness and gratification from the comment, Lincoln rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. Were they ready? While it was true that they hadn't had the most chances to practice on their setup throughout the week, the progression had been there in its own haphazard way. He had done quite a bit of practicing on his lonesome when he'd been in his room over the course of the nights and some of the books had truly begun to pull him in once he'd gotten past the base layer of their sappy, yet morbid, premises. It had likely been those tugs of the beneath-the-surface elements that had kept him interested in them in fact instead of driving him away with the occasional bought of descriptive violence. Of course it helped not having pictures of the described acts to look at, but with how invested he had gotten at times he doubted that would be much of a detriment to the tales. And with Lucy's guidance on Tuesday his footsteps had fallen into line with her's rather seamlessly. It was an impressive transformation he'd undergone...but was it enough? Even if he had the act down he had never been to such an event himself. What all were the customs? And he still needed his suit to-

"It's waiting for ya in the closet," Leni said causing the younger boy and girl to jump apart at the sudden appearance of her face bent down next to his.

"...w-what's in the c-closet?" Lincoln asked clutching his chest. Even Lucy ran her fingers through her hair from the surprise.

"The suit," Leni answered. Lincoln and Lucy gave each other an odd look before looking back to their older sister, "just be sure to tell the Martians not to get it too dirty. I totes did some work to get it looking as good as it does." Lucy and Lincoln shared their perplexed looks again as the older sister lifted back up into a standing position behind them. That had at least answered where to get the outfit from even if the information had seemingly been to respond to unspoken situation more than anything else. The sound of the older sister hadn't gone unnoticed by everyone else however. Lori, whom had emerged from their room looked towards the trio as she passed.

"Remember Luce, the VOM rerun from last week's on tonight," she reminded as she reached the steps. At the mention of their shared show the goth's head popped up. Though she was willing to sacrifice an episode for her agenda, it was still a point of interest to her. But there were more important matters at hand.

"Or instead of wasting your time with those dreary castles and vampires and crap, you could instead, and hear me out on this, watch my glorious three hour pageant practice later tonight," Lola proposed as she tilted her body towards them and placed a hand on her chest, "Alongside Lincoln of course."

"Groan..." the older brother and sister said at the same time. They realized only too late their response as the startled wannabe-model jumped back at the united dullness. Uneasily she looked between Lincoln and Lucy. Even the boy's expression had shown what she perceived to have been the lowered-eyelids of Lucy's if only for a moment. Just as frantically, Lincoln and Lucy eyed each other.

"Er-I-m-mean...Ughhhhhh... ...?" Lincoln suggested halfheartedly with an apologetic grin afterwards. Her lower eyelids lifted in unnerved stupor and Lola took a step backwards.

"...I'm...gonna go..." she mumbled as she heard the bathroom door open and darted for it. Lucy and Lincoln's throats hummed a tone of anxiousness as they looked to each other while Luan and Luna passed them in their walk to the steps from their departure from the bathroom.

* * *

"Come on dude! That was nearly the end of us back there!" Lynn whined, her arms still shaking, "What if she hadn't been making noise in her sleep? What if she had been...been...I don't know! What if she hadn't been sleeping? If she's become some vampire thug-lord then she might have decided to just rip us to shreds right then and there!"

"I thought you were the one that felt "safer" now around her since you're "family"," Lana spat from where she toiled at the table in her room. The tongs to her chemical baths clattered off of it as the older sister spun her around and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"That was before I tried to get her out of the coffin!" she hissed, "Yeah! She might not kill me, but she's still some secret demented vampire mob-boss! Do you know what kinds of "unfortunate accidents" normal ones hand out?!" Lana tried to turn her head away as the girl pressed her face up against her's. "Come on squirt! Who knows how much time we have left or how many people are getting transformed by them? We gotta do something! And we gotta do something NOW!"

"Yeah yeah I know just back off!" Lana growled pulling herself out of Lynn's grip. With a frustrated grunt she turned back to her table and got back to work. "It's just nice to have you actually back in the game now," she muttered. It was welcome to have someone to talk to about the matters, but Lynn's wavering commitment towards their mission over the past two days had tested the strength of that partnership. She was right about one thing though, they did need to make their move. And what better time to make the strike than before Lynn's loyalty could begin to drift again? But would they succeed? With as low of numbers as they had could they actually overpower the queen of the night if she had undergone a transformation? And what if her "bodyguard" was with her? At the least though, Lana had taken the dark one's interests into account.

"We probably aren't gonna make the attack today," she sighed as she turned back to Lynn and thrust something into her arms. Looking down the older sister could see that the object she was holding was some sort of squirt-gun.

"What's the-"

"You remember how Lisa made those Chicken Noodle Soup guns for when everyone was getting the flu?" Lana asked. Lynn scowled at the memory but nodded her head. "It works like that."

"...what do you mean? You're gonna shoot soup at them?" Lynn questioned. Lana slapped her forehead.

"Does it smell like soup?" she grumbled. Lynn gave the tip of the nozzle an interesting look, but instead of sniffing it as Lana had though she would, the girl instead pointed it at the wall and shot the liquid it contained onto it. With it released into the air, Lynn took a whiff of it.

"Garlic juice?" she asked. Though irritated by the mess Lynn had made, Lana grinned.

"Vampire's number-one vice," she nodded.

"Alright! Then let's get out there and bag us some-"

"Whoa whoa whoa there Ms. Aroma," the younger girl hooted as she pushed her away from the door, "Like I said, we aren't doing this now. That's just a Garlic-Gun. What if they decide to go all out? It'll hurt a bit...I think, but what if they're like super strong or have reinforcements hiding around?" Lynn's shoulders slumped. "No, we need to be ready. Maybe try to get some of the others in on it again and get more weapons made," Lana thought aloud.

"Oh yeah, cause they were just so eager to join in before," Lynn said rolling her eyes. Lana rolled her own at the lack of support.

"Look just...we got school to deal with right now. You just brainstorm and then we can take care of this later," she suggested. Reluctantly, Lynn gave in to the request as the younger girl's look-a-like trudged into the room.

"Yeah, now get your asses downstairs. We gotta get-" Lola interjected, having heard part of the conversation's ending, but stopped as she noticed something. Taking a few sniffs, her olfactory senses directed her bouncing head towards the wall that the door was attached to where she spotted some sort of goop dripping down it. Assuming it was the source of the smell she walked over to it and took another sniff before clutching her nostrils.

"Seriously?!" she growled glaring at the gun-wielding teenager.

* * *

The scene was a few degrees less chaotic than expected as Lynn headed down the steps. Even Leni had made it to the bottom before her and the twins, and she'd been the last one in line for the bathroom. Had Lynn's panic really taken up that much of her time? Almost instinctively she bit a piece of toast as it flew by.

"Oh, I got a donut one," Leni remarked as the holey piece of cooked bread landed in her lap. Most of the rest of the family had been gathered around the table where Lynn slid in next to Lori who was texting, who she could only assume was, Bobby. The twins remained unusually quiet while they took their seats next to the older pair of brunettes who seemed to be caught up in some quiet conversation. Well...at least quiet for someone of Luan's caliber. What surprised Lynn was the noiselessness of the pair of younger siblings. On a normal day they'd likely be caught up in fighting over some scrap of food or their different interests, but as they sat they just occasionally looked away from each other when an eye would fall on one from the other. It was rather odd. Lynn would have expected more complaints or at least some quip from the pageant-queen about their "stupid mission", but aside from the brief glowers she gave there wasn't much. The linings of annoyance were there towards herself and Lana, but the facade held little weight. Beneath the mask there wasn't much substance to her ire for some reason.

Aside from the views of each other, the main focus seemed to be directed towards the stove. With how preoccupied the "chef" and his "assistant" were there was little worry of them catching their stares, but each of the kids made sure to look away when one might think that another had caught them. From what they could see of the pair's backs, Lincoln had been stirring up some, rather tasty smelling, eggs in the skillet while Lucy watched with a pitiable amount of space between them. What could they be discussing? What could they have been plotting as the room wafted with the scents of their distractive toiling? It had to be something dastardly given how Lucy would grin at him at times. Lynn felt a pit in her stomach as the girl leaned against him. Their alliance truly was something to fear. With Lincoln's common sense and Lucy's inventive macabre, there was no telling what types of horrors they would beckon unto their community. If they were to be believed, their counterparts from that other world had completely eviscerated the town with an "accident". What then did that say of their own brother and sister? Lucy may have considered her family, but that did little to quell the reignited concern that the girl's roommate felt with what room she slept in.

"Look, I'm just saying that something is going on with them," Lola could hear Luan say out of the corner of her ear, "I don't wanna make a "tomb" out of a "gravestone", but I'd be "dying" if I said I wasn't curious about the "skeletons in their closets"."

"They're having fun together. Just let it be brah," Luna hummed as she tuned her guitar, "let it be." The only ones that didn't seem to have some amount of focus on the "cooks" were the older blonds and the scientist that had just made her way to the table, who seemed to be cursing herself about not having found a certain universe in her searching.

"It had zombies tearing it apart, it shouldn't be that hard to pick out," Lisa grumbled.

"Alright guys, soup's on," Lincoln's voice hollered directing most eyes to the approaching collection of plates. The ones balancing on his head almost tipped over, but Lucy managed to prop them up with her own head-plates that she had been carrying alongside them.

"Soup? I thought we were having eggs," Leni commented. Hardly anyone was full enough to give the misunderstood phrase much dismissal. Even those that eyed the servers could feel their mouths watering as their plates were set down in front of them.

"Thank god. I'm like literally starving," Lori sighed as she grabbed a hard-boiled egg from her's. Like her, the rest began to tear into their variations of the meal. Well...everyone except for two of them. As the family feasted, Lucy nibbled at what appeared to be a burrito.

"What's that about?" Lynn asked through her bites, "I hardly ever see you munching on a burrito. Why not your crappy black eggs today?" Lucy's cheek glowed as her chewing slowed and she swallowed.

"Sigh...you would not know in your redundant taste, but others of us sometimes seek a different plate," Lucy replied before taking a more confident bite of her meal, though her chews remained as unfamiliar to it as they had been previously. Had Lynn been looking at the brother sitting next to the goth she might have noticed his own smiling blush at the younger sister's determination towards her rare food choice. Lynn was about to come back with a quip of her own when their mom popped her head into the room.

"Kids! We gotta get going! Take your food with you!" Rita told them.

"Yeah, we both gotta be at work today and we have deadlines too!" Lynn Sr. added. With groans from some of the children, some scarfed down their eggs while others got bags from the drawer to carry their's in. They could hear the van humming in the driveway as they approached the front door where their parents waited. Lucy and Lincoln however never made it to the outside.

"If I may..." Lisa coughed coming to a stop halfway through the living room. Their parent's eyes pressed the children onwards but the offspring eagerly halted their tracks to stall for a bit longer. "I believe Lucy and Lincoln might benefit from a day off after their ordeals yesterday. Their wounds...MIGHT not be "fully" healed yet." The attention shifted to the goth and orange-shirted boy that clung to their burritos. Lola lifted a brow as she saw the young scientist wink at them signalling their feigned nursing of their recovered wounds. Lucy's look of surprise had been even greater than Lincoln's after her inspection earlier, but it didn't take her long to fall into the act with him.

"Y-yeah...ya know now that she mentions it I think I do feel the torn ligaments and stuff still healing..." Lincoln murmured as he rubbed his shoulder. He wasn't sure quite why Lisa was offering them such a break from school, but he'd be a fool to not take it. Those that didn't hold their suspicions towards them simply looked on in envy.

"Oh gosh...I don't know...now we gotta make the calls to school-"

"Let me handle that," Lisa said to her mom.

"And there's the matter of who would be looking after them-"

"I've looked after Lola, Lana, Lisa, and Lucy before," Lincoln reminded with a forced grin. Lola's eyes narrowed at the excuses.

"And Lily," Lisa added.

"And Lily," Lincoln nodded. The mother and father looked at each other uneasily, but they didn't have many options.

"Ding dang darnit, we don't have time for this," Lynn Sr. grumbled.

"Alright fine, but I want you to call one of us if ANYTHING happens," Rita sighed, "The numbers are on the fridge."

"Of course!" Lincoln replied, his grin growing wider and more confident now joined by one from Lucy. Her's drifted down to the smallest member that could walk as the collective began to file out the front door who gave her another wink, an action that did not go unnoticed by Lola. Her twin however was preoccupied with more worried expressions that she was exchanging with Lynn. They already had to prepare for whatever their attack against the two might be later, but now their targets had the entire house to themselves? FOR A DAY? The type of progress they could make in their own agenda was unfathomable and only heightened the urgency of their operations which they wouldn't even be able to talk about until a number of hours had passed.

"Alright, everyone has their stuff right?" Lynn Sr.'s voice asked as the doors to the van began to open.

"I don't know about everyone else, but my bag is "Egg"cellent," Luan laughed as her bag crinkled in her hands.

"I like literally have everything," Lori told them as she got in.

"I don't know. My soup's in the bag but I thought it'd be leaking by now," Leni commented with concern. Whatever else the group went on about was lost to the pair that were still at the interior of the house's doorway as the doors to the vehicle shut. Its frame rattled slightly as it pulled out of the driveway and started off into the horizon with a portion of the faces inside watching their home in skepticism. Once they had departed though, the remaining residents of the house ceased the waving they'd taken to and turned to each other.

"Holy crap! I can't believe it!" Lincoln exclaimed, "We-Lisa-I...WOO!" Lucy's grin had enlarged so much that her eyes shut from the raising of her cheeks. "I mean I don't why she even did that for us but oh my god! No school!"

"Elated sigh. I think it had to do with me," Lucy told him, "She probably didn't like me pointing out that the healing we received really didn't come from the version of her in this world so I think she's trying to make up for it with this."

"Well consider her-...um...partway forgiven for yesterday then," Lincoln said catching himself before he gave the munchkin too much praise.

"Indeed," Lucy nodded. On her surface she was only slightly less calm than normal, but within her organs she could feel fireworks ricocheting off the interiors of their walls. The act had caught absolutely everyone by surprise, but for the two that it had been done for none could match them in excitement. It was just what they needed. Ignoring the relief that came with their absences from the education system, the only day they had left to truly prepare for the Ball was now a full one! An entire day to refine and practice. Lucy could not have asked for a better gift.

"So...shall we get started then?" she asked pressing her head up underneath Lincoln's chin and curling some strands of her hair in her fingers, "My decaying raven." To her surprise, she was flipped back around to face him as his hands gripped her arms and pulled her away.

"Yeah yeah, we'll get to that!" Lincoln promised, "But stop and think for a minute! We have an entire DAY off from SCHOOL...WITH NO ONE ELSE AROUND!" It took the shorter girl a few seconds to process the ramifications of the information, but when she had her grin returned tenfold. Basking in the freedom, Lincoln raised his burrito and clacked it together against her's. Their minds raced with possibilities.

* * *

Lola huffed to herself as she made her way through Royal Woods Elementary. Unlike a certain goth and brother, she had had to attend every day of their education that week. But she wasn't one to put on a sour face. She had to keep up appearances after all. Couldn't let the public know that such an insignificant issue might be bugging her. Beneath the surface though her blood simmered. Who were they to have gotten TWO days off? Yeah, the first one was an obvious out. They HAD to not be at school due to their accident. But the day afterwards? The family knew the injuries they'd apparently suffered, and she knew damn well when someone was faking, especially considering they had seemed just fine when they'd been behind her in the line for the bathroom. No, there was no viable reason she could see as to why Lisa had proposed their vacancy in Vanzilla other than maybe as a favor. But a favor for what? To be nice? Not likely. The short Loud was too hardwired to usually give that much of a care about emotional issues. Under the assumption that it hadn't been a rare showing of compassion, what would it have been then?

The longer that Lola thought on the matter the more she found herself hating her pondering. It was the exact thing she would've ridiculed other for throughout the week. But it did seem...odd. Those two had just happened to be the ones that were used in Lisa's experiment and now she was doing them a favor...a favor that would separate them from the rest of the family. Glancing at her equally quiet twin, Lola mentally kicked herself. She couldn't believe who she was beginning to sound like. So what if they'd been used in one of Lisa's experiments? That happened to everyone in the family at one point or another. And maybe Lisa was just being nice to the returning adventurers. But then again...they had both said "groan" at her suggestion in the hall that morning. They'd spoken the word. LINCOLN had spoken the word. Since when did he do that? That was Lucy's thing. Thinking on it further she couldn't even recall hearing him come up behind her before that. She'd just suddenly heard some quiet words from the two as they'd started conversing.

As she and Lana reached their classroom, Lola shook her head. For as much as she loved her doppelganger, she couldn't stand the thought of falling prey to the same paranoia that had so irrationally overtaken her. So what if Lincoln and Lucy hung out together now? So what if they...were beginning to speak...the same?...so what if...the smartest and potentially most dangerous person in the family seemed like she was...helping to keep them alone from...everyone else for a few hours?...the same people that her twin and her twin's accomplice had been worrying about...all...week?... It...was just a big misunderstanding. Just Lynn and Lana being morons and overreacting. Bolting a confident grin onto her face, Lola took her seat and looked obediently towards the board at the front of the room. That's all it was. Morons and overreacting.

* * *

A lamp on the living-room nightstand rattled as its perch was kicked. For the last fifteen minutes or so Charles had been doing his best to avoid the pursuers, but it seemed to be of no use. No matter where he'd run one would always be around the next corner, ready to strike. His eyes hopped as he noticed a familiar smell. The girl. It had to be her. Skidding to a stop, he jerked away from the kitchen just in time to avoid the next attack and made his way instead towards the couch. It was of little use though. With a series of "splats" he didn't need to turn his head to realize that the assault was right on his heels. Desperately he jumped onto the couch and used his momentum to bounce over the back of it from the cushion he landed on. Hoping that he'd lost the current predator, the dog pressed his back up alongside the fabric that he'd landed in back of and panted. He didn't know what it was that had provoked the residents of the house that had stayed behind, but there was no question about the urgency of the situation. That drilled home even further as he looked to the ground and scrambled back in horror. Laying at his feet and reaching out towards him was Cliff, a prisoner of the temporarily sticking substance that their hunters had been firing at them with from the guns they'd gotten from Lisa's room.

"Mreowww..." the cat moaned. To a normal ear it may have sounded like complaining, but to the dog he knew all to well what the warning meant. Fear in his eyes, Charles turned to see the boy standing over him, firearm trained on his face.

"Looks like I'm not gonna lose," Lincoln smirked as he fired. Letting out a bark of despair, Charles hopped out of the way and took off running allowing Lucy to make her own shots as he broke out into the open. In spite of the girl's efforts though he remained unscathed by the subduing substance. The shots from the siblings followed his trail as he tore up the stairs. He'd nearly made it to safety when finally he heard one last "splat". Looking to his leg, Charles saw exactly what he'd feared and tried desperately to get the solidifying goop off of the body part it had struck. But it refused to give. Hopelessly, the dog looked to the lower floor to see the boy that had slowed his advance and let out a cry as a flurry of the ammunition shot from his gun. With a couple of more hits, the dog's doom was sealed and he fell to the living room floor, defeated. Walt rolled his eyes at the dog's overdramatic moans from where he lay in his own captivity a few feet away.

"Guess it's a tie then," Lincoln grinned. He put up his fist which Lucy punched lightly as he approached.

"Indeed, there are no more souls left to take down," she agreed. Seconds passed as the pair looked satisfyingly over their bounty, but as they did their expressions, however slowly, began to change and were replaced instead with more suspicious frowns. The air tense, Lucy and Lincoln spun and aimed their guns at each other. "Sigh, tis a sorrowful conclusion that we have come to," she relented.

"Only as sorrowful as you make it," Lincoln murmured narrowing his eyes. The guns trembled in their hands. "I'd never want to hurt you...but you leave me little choice."

"The choice is yours, and mine dear brother. I loved you," Lucy told him, "But with so much at stake, I can't walk away empty-handed."

"Nor can I," Lincoln retorted. For a good pause they stood crouched in their positions with their guns trained at each other. Even the subdued pets watched in suspense at the unfolding betrayal. Grins sprouting to their faces, Lincoln and Lucy pulled the triggers.

* * *

The voice of the teacher at the head of the classroom droned on as Lynn Loud's pencil clicked over and over on her desk with each tilt of her fingers. Normally she'd probably have been beginning to doze off, but the thoughts clinging to her mind made it so that the usually sleep-inducing sermons were more of just an annoying backdrop with which to ponder in. Given her predicted disinterest, the teacher likely wouldn't be giving her much in the way of attention leaving only her contemplations for company. And contemplations were what she needed. Ever since Lucy's awakening she had been filled with a discomforting sense of wariness. While it was true that she had worried for her roommate in she and their brother's absence the day before, now that she was back the precaution towards her had skyrocketed. She couldn't believe she'd let up her guard so easily. Though she may not have had as much to fear as she would have thought after her and Lana's initial conclusions about the pair, that had been no reason to simply drop the case against them until danger actually struck. After all, that had been the little girl that had completely ruined an entire other world under different circumstances. The other sisters may have brushed aside her theatrics quite often, but there was no mistaking the danger that she could bring with what had been revealed about their universe-hopping adventure.

Lynn could feel her upper lip tighten with apprehension. Why was she like this? This...this worry? She was the star player, the dependable go-getter that knocked it out of the park when all else failed. Why was there fear? So what if they were probably vampires laying in wait to infect the whole town with their blood-sucking tendencies and dominating hierarchy? She could take them. She could take them on her own!...couldn't she? Lynn's fist that rested against her cheek slid into her hair as she lowered her head. Couldn't she?...a week ago she'd have charged in guns blazing no problem, but now? Now she'd been...bested. She'd been...beaten. She swallowed a gulp of disgust at the notion. She'd been defeated at her own game...by...LUCY. Embarrassed in front of the ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD. And then, when she'd tried to get back at her and the one she'd been playing for, they kicked her ass. They LITERALLY destroyed her. She couldn't remember everything about that whole superhero transformation, but those feelings of loss and pain made sure that they wouldn't be forgotten.

Even if she had been granted some levity to the worries of whom she slept near, those two had proven their threat, especially when combined. And the tale that they'd divulged to the family after their return had reignited the danger all of them were likely in as long as those two operated. They needed to be stopped, and they needed to be stopped NOW. But how? Lana had been working on that Garlic-Gun, and that was probably a pretty effective ward for the demonic presences that they'd probably have to be dealing with, but would that be what they needed? If their transformations were complete weren't they supposed to be like superfast or something if they were vampires? Would they be on their own against them? Two on two? Had she eaten the eggs she'd taken with her yet?

Lynn pulled out the bag she'd put her breakfast in and opened it. To her fortune some was still left at the bottom which she hungrily scarfed down. Thinking always did seem to take a lot of energy. Wiping her mouth, she felt a surge of energy come back to her. Maybe they'd put up a fight and maybe they'd go down easy, but whatever the case may be she'd play her best. There was no way for her to try and recruit any help from the other siblings throughout the school-day given their placements above and below her school's teaching boundaries, but she was sure that if she needed to she'd be able to make the score. She'd played enough football and blocked enough goals to know how to dart after the enemy no matter how quick they were, and with members of her own family she had taken them all down often enough to ready herself for the conflict to come. As the food pumped her blood she could feel a cockiness overtaking her face. She would reclaim her place in the victory rackets in the most satisfying way possible. Saving their family, nay, Royal Woods from the vampiric scourge that her enemies presented. They would rue the day that they had dared to challenge her.

"Ms. Loud, you're awake!" the teacher noticed, "Would you care to solve for Y?"

"Dang it," Lynn grumbled.

* * *

A loud bang echoed through the corridors of Mr. Grouse's house as the front door was thrown inward. Out of the light blaring through the entrance, two figures leaped forward, one wielding a pair of cards in his hand and the other a shovel in her's. So as not to draw any unnecessary attention, the two crusaders split and pressed themselves up against the walls on either side of the living room. Their ears alert, they slid along them slowly. It had been a long winding trail, but through the chambers of their household and the traces in the world outside, the two vigilantes had tracked down the location of where they believed the stolen goods had been absconded to. For a normal pair the trail would have probably gone cold within their own home, but through the boy's years of experience with the sidekick he normally had, not mention the countless hours of reading comics, the deducing had been an expected accomplishment even if it had taken some effort.

Having reached the doorway to the next room, the siblings looked at each other again and, after taking another look around the living room for any clues as to where the owner might be, they nodded to each other and jumped through the doorway into the kitchen. Immediately they took a step back with Ace Savvy putting an arm in front of the younger heroine who pointed her shovel towards the culprit before them.

"Huh? What's this?" Mr. Grouse blurted at the intruders that had hopped into his kitchen.

"End of the line Grouse! We know it was you that took the lasagna that our dad made last night!" Lincoln accused.

"Wha-? Loud? Is that you?" Mr. Grouse grumbled, "don't you usually go around with that other boy when you're in that getup?"

"With the absence of one luminary, another must step in to fight fairly," The Eight of Spades retorted, her grip on her shovel tightening.

"How did you tikes even know it was me?" Mr. Grouse murmured. As his eyes narrowed his hand reached behind his back towards a button that had been placed under the rim of his counter.

"The reasonings were simple. Thanks to our trip into an alternate universe yesterday we had seen that the Mr. Grouse there had wanted lasagna and took our counterpart's dad's one when we were leaving," Ace explained, "As such you were probably craving it last night and, after he'd made it for our return, you made off with it after the lights went out in our house and everyone went to bed."

"Plus, who else would steal the lasagna?" Eight added. The two heroes stood ready to pounce with their weapons at the stunned elder. Realizing that there was no other way out, Mr. Grouse pressed the button he'd picked up from Lisa's room during his thievery and a series of clicks and whirs sounded. Lucy and Lincoln backed up as a skeletal frame of machinery grew out from behind the man and hooked itself in a harness around him. He grinned as six tendrils sprouted from the backpack that it formed with the two lower tendrils lifting him up into the air above them.

"Not bad Louds, but you ain't just gonna walk out of here with that delicious food unscathed!" Lucy and Lincoln jumped out of the way as one of the upper tendrils shot forward and smashed into the spot they had been standing at. Two more swiped from the sides at them. Lincoln rolled beneath the first flail and somersaulted over the next while Lucy fought off her's with swipes of her own.

"Slash!" she said as she cut into the snaking structure causing it to reel back. Seeing the counterattack, Lincoln gave a few of his own from some cards he threw. It didn't take long for the recoiling tentacles to recover and begin their assault once more, only now joined by the two others that were along the sides of the backpack. The boy and girl did their best to fight them off and avoid their strikes, but they knew it wouldn't be too much longer before their efforts gave in. They had to find some way to take the tentacles down, and fast. Looking towards the man, Lincoln ran his eyes along the length of the tentacles and and they widened.

"Jab!" Lucy said taking her latest stab at her attackers.

"Eight! We gotta shut the tentacles down at the source!" Lincoln declared. Lucy looked to him as her arms strained under the weight of the ones she was holding back and followed his eyes towards the suspended Mr. Grouse. Realizing what he meant, Lucy nodded and joined Lincoln in their dart beneath the older man once he had knocked the tendrils away from her with some cards. Mr. Grouse stumbled once he realized where the two youngsters had disappeared to, but he had no chance to turn or notice where their target was before Lincoln had cupped his hands around the bottom of Lucy's foot and sent her hurtling into the air.

"CUT!" Lucy said loudly as her words accompanied a slash from her shovel that tore through Mr. Grouse's backpack.

* * *

"Aw come on, don't "pencil" me out yet!" Luan laughed, much to her teacher's annoyance. Even if she'd failed the latest problem she'd been asked she hardly felt the detriment of its botching. With a quiver of laughter still on her smiling lips, Luan lounged back in her chair and put her hands behind her head. Most every student in the room may have viewed her with irritation, but she knew that if they'd been a few grades younger she'd have them laughing on the floor. That was what assured her satisfaction. Her handiwork may not have been appreciated by many of her peers, but there was a certain respect garnered to her from her usual target audience, and it was for them that she continued to craft and refine her work, even at the expense of her reputation. If you got the young ones you got the future, and in the long run those childhood memories would matter more than the frivolous trivialities of the boredom that adult life brought. Plus, it gave her an excuse to entertain herself.

As the teacher moved onto the next student, Luan's pleased grin began to flatten into a more relaxed smile. Thinking about most children certainly brought the teenager unbridled amounts of joy with how well her acts tended to please them. As the mental images drifted to two of the ones closer to her however, her smile started to fade. After the physical conflictions that she had put her brother through, it was only deserved for him to have some privacy for his own matters from her, but Lucy had not earned her favor nearly as much, and Lincoln clearly had some sort of...operation going on with her. It was absolutely none of her business, but who could respect her if she didn't have her curiosities about their dealings? She'd been more than happy to repay the boy that last Friday with helping him and the dreary sister escape from Lana, but just why they had been leaving the house had been a mystery. Sure it was probably for that Goth Mic Night thing Lucy liked to attend, but Lincoln seemed...eerily in tune with her, with or without being decked out in that "edgy" getup. And that was to say nothing of the girl's laugh. Lana hadn't been the only one disturbed by Lucy's outburst.

Shaking off the shudders, Luan looked down to her lap. Those two...there was something between them. That much was obvious to anyone that pondered on them. But what was it? Lincoln had always been closer to Lucy than the other siblings had and Luan herself knew the two better than most. It should have made her happy to see them having developed their relationship as far as they had given all that she knew about them. Why then was she...questioning their interactions? Was it for worry? Did she fear if they'd fall apart or what those bonds might mean? Was it jealousy? She was close with her own roommate, but Lincoln had none, and Lucy and him seemed to be stepping into each other's presence seemlessly in recent days. Or did she simply want to know for curiosity's sake? Did she just seek to collect more material to use as fuel for her jokes?

"Alright Ms. Loud, care to take a stab at another problem?" the teacher asked having noticed the girl's dipping interest. Instantly a smile leaped back to her face.

"Only if I get to keep the knife," she quipped. She grinned as she noticed snickers from some of the surrounding kids and the cough's that held back the teacher's own reluctant ones.

* * *

Lucy took a bite of lasagna as she checked over some things on her phone. While there hadn't been anything of immediate importance, it was always a benefit to check up on if any messages had been left for her or anything. Aside from the standard ones from Haiku however there hadn't been any. It hadn't taken too long to recite the brief summary her efforts would allow of the adventure the day before, and it's not like Haiku would have had time to chit-chat either way given how she had had to attend school that day. Taking another bite she flipped through some windows to one where she had a search up for the latest coffin models. The Banana Leaf ones had been appealing to her creative side as of late, but more traditional types always seemed to bubble back to the surface.

In the chair opposite of her, Lincoln flipped through selections on his own phone. At first he'd been wondering about the price of the latest Ace Savvy comics which had then led to his investigation of how much some of the older, and usually rarer, issues might cost. To his expected misfortune almost every one of them had been completely out of his price range by a few good hundred or even thousand dollars. But it was still nice to scope out the old covers. No matter the contents within them even the oldest and least refined of Bill Buck's work could be a wonder to the eyes. Being sure to save one of his favorite covers, he took a bite of his plate's lasagna and scrolled down to a selection of video games he had been eyeing earlier. Initially he'd wondered about maybe looking into purchasing another Fish Brawler, but after his very...vivid experience with an older title in the series from a certain robot a week back, he'd quickly let it slip from his view. That left it a toss up between the new Raging River Racers or Total Turbo XXIII. He stuck his tongue up over his upper lip as he scratched his head while Lucy scrolled through some poetry.

* * *

Lori Loud focused. Though there were many classes and many physical education activities she did not and never would care for, the choice for that day's P.E. was not one of them. Of her peers, her prowess in golf was unmatched, as was her interest. Even if many of the students meandered and paid the practice little mind, she enraptured herself with it. As her brows furrowed so too did her concentration. The wind, the building tension, the spasms of her body. All the factors had to be accounted for and analyzed before the proper play could be made. The surrounding audience may have been littered with ever fading enjoyment from the teenage onlookers, but Lori needed to take the play seriously. If she didn't how could she trust herself to retain her integrity for the actual important matches. She NEEDED to keep her prowess solid. Closing and opening her eyes slowly, Lori lifted the putter she held.

"JUST DO IT ALREADY!" someone blurted. She cringed as her downward swing wobbled. The clack sounded from the ball it hit, but it wasn't as firm in noise or impact as it should have been. Lori grumbled as she watched it fly off and bounce a few feet from where she'd intended for it to land. With the misplacement she might have to waste another turn getting it back into place instead of making her final swing on her next turn. Her composure bent, Lori huffed back to the crowd around her and handed the putter off to the next student and stood towards the back with her arms folded. As expected the next golfer just swung at their ball as quickly as possible before continuing the handoff. Lori rolled her eyes in disgust. Hardly any of them showed the favor she did towards the sport, and in turn she showed hardly any favor towards their swings. They were just haphazard swats to file through the line of teenagers with most dreading when she would take the sports equipment next. Those that did attempt genuine shots may have looked forward to seeing the attempt, but they were clearly in the minority.

If Lincoln had been there she might actually have someone that'd appreciate the effort. Maybe someone to even debate on strategies with. A smile crossed her lips as she thought about the younger brother. Now there was someone that showed promise. He may not have been the best at the sport, but damn if he didn't catch on quick to the concept. That was one of the things that she found to be the most endearing about him. His potential. The others may not have noticed it as much, but the boy of the family was always rather quick to jump into things, and with his ambition he usually proved himself to soar much higher than others thought he would, himself included usually. He may not have succeeded in a lot of the endeavors, but he was never one to count out when it came to exploring new territory. Whatever he would end up as in life she was sure he'd be successful at it. And whatever girl he might be trying to impress, she knew that they'd appreciate his showing-off, even if they wouldn't admit it.

The thoughts in her head kept Lori from looking up as she heard claps from her peers for the student that had just putted. She barely even paid attention as they began their walk towards the general direction where the balls had landed. There was no hiding the motive behind Lincoln's suspicious behavior, but just where that motive lay was the question. As far as she'd seen there truly had been no girl that Lincoln had been hanging around. At least no more than normal, and, for as far as she could tell, acting no differently than normal around. There was Stella, but he was just as casual around her as ever. Girl Jordan just shared in the usual socialness of the Elementary School. That left little room for other potential mates with how distanced Cristina tended to be after the whole "recording" fiasco he'd gone through with the rest of the family. Who then was left? And how would he be able to impress a girl by sneaking up on them?

Lori's eyes widened a bit as she ran the question through her head again. He was acting more like...Lucy than...anyone else... Some of the students braced themselves for the inevitable wait as Lori positioned herself at her ball, but the pause was not as much for focus as it had been before. On the contrary, her thinking was helping her to more naturally align the shot with how intricately it had started to put the thoughts together in her head. The way he had tried to sneak up on her...that had absolutely been more in line with the queen of dreariness. But...why would he want to "scare" a girl that he "liked"? Unless...it must have been that Haiku chick. Only someone of the goth community would be welcoming of that type of flirtation. Grinning, Lori swung the putter and the ball went soaring. Even those that were beginning to tune out watched in amazement at both the shortened amount of time to make the swing when compared to normal and how cleanly the shot had been made. With how it flew it looked as though she wouldn't have to make another shot. As it neared its destination however, her face began to droop. Though the pondering had helped her accuracy, her thoughts did not stop with the hit.

The more she dawdled on the odd behavior the more confusing the scare seemed. To someone that didn't know the boy they might have assumed he was just trying to be more like Lucy to help her out with something she'd roped him into, but she did know him. And she knew "flirting" when she saw it. The Haiku hypothesis made sense. The Lucy bit however...did not. She knew there'd been something going on between the two of them. She didn't know when it had started, but she was alert enough to see that the two had been hanging out together more than usual as of late. The two had even ventured into another universe together. Surely it should have seemed like sweet behavior with the girl that didn't get nearly enough attention from the others, but she had challeneged Lynn, LYNN, to a BASKETBALL match. Most didn't know what the whole reason behind the match had been, but from the looks she had seen between her and Lincoln and what little she'd managed to get out of Lynn afterwards it'd clearly been something that had had to do with him and the black-haired Loud. She'd fought for him when Lynn had insisted on using him for something. And then there was the matter of that last Friday. She knew what she and Leni had seen was Lincoln when Lucy had raced out the door with somebody, and the younger blond could not at all be blamed for mistaking him for a vampire with the brief glimpse they had gotten of how he'd looked that night.

Lori felt an uncomfortable shudder quiver across her spine as the ball bounced along the grass beyond and rolled into the hole she'd aimed for. The cheers of her astounded classmates did their best to perish a ridiculous thought that she'd somehow let into her head, but its uneasiness left an unpleasant taste in her mouth even as the pondering distilled.

* * *

Lincoln and Lucy panted with their hands on their knees. It had taken an enormous amount of effort, but it had all been worth it. From where they stood on the roof the cries of the demonically possessed machinery from Lisa's room were near nonexistent as they faded away in their deactivation on the floor below their's. Heaving their breaths, the two slumped onto the roof propping themselves up against each other. After the trials of endurance and ingenuity that the two had displayed in their race to stay ahead of the lethal robots they had more than earned their rest. The minutes dragged on as their breathing slowed back to a more normal pace. Looking down to the girl on his shoulder he smiled. Delighted with their success she did the same before turning her head towards the sky with him where they could see the spirit they'd freed from the basement drifting towards the clouds above. In relief they waved at the ghost they had helped as beams draped across their bodies from the noon sun.

* * *

A cash register sounded as the sale for the khakis and wool sweater that Leni had just dealt with rang up. As happily as she would to any customer she folded the items and bagged them before handing them off.

"And remember, orange peels before bed," she reminded the older woman she'd been serving who blushed and nodded. Eagerly Leni waved at her as she left. Sensing no oncoming customers, the airheaded girl stood still as a board with the blank smile plastered on her face. It was as though she were a statue waiting to come to life at the next moment that a customer might need her. Within her head however, thoughts buzzed around the incoherent vacancy that was her mind. Thoughts of if she'd plugged all the leaks in the room that she ironed her clothes in back at the house or if Miguel had gotten the right conditioner for the girl that he had serviced earlier. No answers came of course. It was near impossible for a single thought to remain marinating in her head long enough for resolutions to be reached.

One that stuck around longer than some however was that pertaining to the two younger siblings that had made their own purchase from the store two days before. That suit. It was still in her room. While she knew that Lucy and Lincoln had apparently been on vacation during yesterday's events, it had been worrying that they'd never picked up their item. She wasn't used to having to keep hold of such material after the skittishness that they'd selected it with. At least not that she could remember. For all she knew she could still have Lisa's science-presentation-outfit stored in the back of the closet, but if it'd been in there that long it likely wanted to stay. Who was she to deny it a home? For the latest siblings however it was still recent enough for her to recall the concern they'd displayed even if it was getting somewhat vague. It was drifting away, but it wasn't gone yet. It was likely her handiwork on the outfit that pinned the issue in her head. She had given that makeover as much work as she could muster and she would have just loved to see Lincoln all decorated in its splendor.

But when would that play they were going to be putting on take place? Where would it be? And when were the Martians going to get there? Surely Lincoln's red-haired friend from school would know. He might even have been the one to have contacted them. But the normal residents had been showing no signs of having heard of any flying saucers in the area. Leni would have preferred some time to prepare in case they wanted some clothes of their own to be made.

"Gosh, I don't know Tanya," Leni sighed at the nearby mannequin in the store window, "Do you think aliens would like scales or-"

"GAH! Leni! What the hell are you doing here?" Fiona cried realizing where the sudden voice had come from when she'd passed the registers. She clutched her chest to manage her heart-beat while she tried to shake her breathing back to normal.

"Oh hi Fiona," Leni waved, "I work here!" The excited girl's expression drooped at her dimness.

"No, I mean...wait how long have you been here?" the employee asked Leni, "Shouldn't you like be at school? How'd you even get here?" Leni blinked a few times. How had she gotten there? The story had had her just as ready for school as the other siblings had been, but unlike most of the others she had a job. It only made sense to set up at the register once she'd gotten out of the van. After being reminded of her educational endeavors however, Leni's shoulders slumped as she realized the error of where she'd ended up.

"Dang it," she grumbled.

* * *

The television blared loudly in the living room of The Loud House. Whether or not it'd disturbed Mr. Grouse enough for him to come over and start banging on the door, the inhabitants within had no idea. The pitch of the noise was too great for their ears to pick up much that wasn't around them within the room. Joining in on the festivities, the animals of the household engaging in the joyous atmosphere paid just as little mind to the contents pouring over their audible organs as the humans were. The simply danced and leaped across furniture in the delights of the moment. Geo energetically scurried his hamster-ball around the living room floor while Cliff and Charles tangoed. The goop that had captured them all had long since evaporated following the end of their predators' hunt leaving them free to go about their daily activities, activities that they willing gave up in favor of the party they had joined in on.

Ecstatically, Walt flew past the dancing cat and dog and landed on Geo's ball which he proceeded to walk backwards on to keep his balance on the moving object. Noticing the upcoming table however, the bird fluttered off of its mobile perch to avoid the collision and took back to the air of the room. Lincoln and Lucy barely noticed the blur of yellow as it flew between their rotating heads. Their hands held together and their bodies bent outwards as they spun in place, the boy and girl were hardly aware of any potential disruptions to their spinning. They just laughed joyously in the freedom of their break from school.

"Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha," Lucy said dryly through her delighted grin.

* * *

Most of the day had been rather quiet for Lola Loud. While normally she was at the center of the latest gossip, she, for some reason, just hadn't been able to bring herself to muster up the energy necessary to partake in the socialness of her age group that day. She almost couldn't believe her disinterest in the usual babbling of her classmates and their personal matters. It was as though her mind wouldn't let her pay attention to them. All that it had seemed interested in allowing her to focus on ever since she'd arrived at school were the two Louds that hadn't. And every time she did let herself drift into that territory she'd actively fought against it. It was silly. It was flat-out ridiculous to partake in the suspiciousness that two of her other sisters had plunged themselves into. But such resistance to the curious cravings was draining. That's why Lola had found it so welcoming when she had decided to stop by the cafeteria between classes. Her stomach growled as she grabbed a carton of milk and a bag of carrots from the counter

Lola was in the middle of chugging the creamy liquid when she heard an unexpected voice. To her luck the gaggle of friends that one of the people she was trying NOT to think about had gathered in the room for similar purposes.

"But don't worry, if that ever happens again, One-Eyed Jack will save the day," Clyde assured the kids he and Lincoln hung out with. Before Lola could make her escape, some of the older kids noticed her.

"Hey! It's one of them Louds!" Liam exclaimed snapping everyone's eyes to her.

"Oh my gosh! Lola!" Clyde practically yelped as he and the others bounded over to her, "Not to be rude but is Lincoln alright? He wasn't here yesterday and-"

"YEAH. He's fine! Great! He's just recovering at home is all," Lola answered quickly hoping to make her exit from the reminders of her brother.

"Sigh, Lucy's hasn't shown herself either," a drearier voice interjected causing the shorter kids to jump in fright. Towering over them was an taller girl holding an umbrella. "She's good at hiding, but I know if she's here or not," Persephone stated. Lola knew the older girl much less than any of Lincoln's friends, but the way she dressed and eeriness she carried did just as effective a job at bringing Lucy's reminder to the scene.

"What are they recovering from?" Rusty asked, "Did something happen to them?"

Lola tried to reach for the door to dispatch with the gathering, but under that many stares she knew it would do her reputation no good to leave the inquiries unaddressed.

"Fine," she grumbled, "yeah, they were gone yesterday cause Lisa got them lost in another universe. Now they're "recovering" from that trip at home. Bye."

"Lost in another universe?" Stella repeated in bewilderment. Lola glared as the taller girl put her hand against the door to keep it from moving.

"Lisa?" Persephone added.

"What other universe?" Clyde asked more directly, "W-what happened? Are they okay? What was it-"

"Ugh. You people don't stop do ya?" Lola grunted, "It was some zombie-infested version of Royal Woods. They helped get it back to normal before finding their way back to our universe."

"Zombies?" a few of the kids exclaimed.

"Sigh, so lucky..." Persephone practically sobbed. Lola rolled her eyes. She could absolutely see why Lucy hung out with her.

"Relax, from what I heard all of you were fine," Lola muttered. With an unusual amount of strength she grabbed the door handle and flung it open promptly smashing Stella into the wall behind it.

"H-hold on!" Clyde begged, "They're okay right?"

"Yeah, I said they're fine..." Lola grumbled through her teeth. She just wanted to be done with the conversation about the two.

"If they're fine then why are they at home?" Rusty questioned. Most of the others stared at her as Stella wobbled out from behind the loosening door and fell to the floor. Lola's teeth had begun to grit with the persisting interrogation. Why were they at home? They seemed just fine, and she could tell the injuries that they would have had had pretty much healed. So why then had Lisa, the one that had gotten those two lost, the two that Lana and Lynn had been suspicious of, suggested that they stay home for that day? Why the odd identical behavior between the two? Why? Why? Wh-?

"I DON'T KNOW!" Lola yelled and darted into the hallway. The perplexed faces of the older children were left behind as the young girl charged through the halls of Royal Woods Elementary. With most students beginning to return to their classrooms, not nearly as many kids were as worried about the rushing child as they would have been minutes before, but Lola still got a few stares. In the frenzy it took a bit longer than it should have for her to care, but eventually she ducked into a bathroom negating the issue. Turning on the sink's faucet she took off her gloves, cupped her hands under the liquid, and splashed it across her face. She didn't care that her eyeliner dripped into the drizzle that seeped down her skin. She just cared that her nerves were returning to normal under the soothing streams.

Lola was almost startled by the girl that looked back at her in the mirror. Her cheeks were stained with the blackness of her makeup and her eyes held an unexpected amount of lines under them. Raggedly, she sucked air in through her nose and closed her eyes. When she opened them the current exhaled back out of her nose and her eyelids lowered slightly.

"...I don't know..."

* * *

"Steady..." Lucy muttered. Lincoln's tongue clung tightly to his upper lip as he lowered the television remote that'd had a video game controller taped to it towards where the girl's foot stood. "STEADY..." she reiterated as she saw his hand begin to quiver. Sweat laced both of their heads in the building tension. Beneath her hair, Lucy's eyes tightened. She couldn't believe she'd been so careless. The day of jubilious independence had made her reckless and she, and possibly Lincoln, were about to pay for it. His paperweight was almost in place, but one slipup, one error, and they might both regret the rescue attempt. And his hand was beginning to shake again under the pressure. He jumped as he felt a hand on his head. Realizing who it was however, and the following swim of her fingers through his hair, Lincoln took in a breath to ease the quivering and lowered the remote the rest of the way to the odd floorboard they'd accidentally uncovered when Lucy had tripped over a part of the rug that'd been cut.

Lucy's body felt a ripple pass through it as the object set into place against her foot. For what felt like minutes Lincoln kneeled there pressing the remotes against the floorboard until eventually he looked up to the younger sister. With their lips pursed they nodded to each other and she stepped off the piece of the floor that she, and now the remotes, had sunk down. As she did the two heard a click causing their pupils to shrink. Lucy had no time to think as Lincoln pulled her down next to him and dove away from the activated trap. The boy wrapped his arms tightly around the back of her head burying her face into his chest at where they landed on the floor and rolled across at until they met with a wall. Lincoln counted the seconds that he figured should have passed before the inevitable reaction would be set off, but nothing happened. At least nothing that they could hear. Though hesitant, the boy uncoiled from the girl allowing them to look towards the floorboards that Lucy had been standing on to see that the floorboards had split open and flung apart with the remotes at its side.

From the hole that they'd revealed dangled a large artificially crafted version of Luan's face on a spring with the words "Got You!" hanging on a banner below its chin. The victims of the prank held a much less enthusiastic expression than the face bobbing up and down before them, but their puffed cheeks and furrowed brows carried some ease to the harmlessness that the trap had possessed. Lincoln put a hand to his forehead as he pressed himself into a sitting position against the wall behind them. He barely noticed the girl next to him snuggle up under his arm in her own recovery.

"Guess this is one type of prank we should be on alert for the closer we get to April Fool's Day," Lincoln sighed.

"Heavy sigh. I'll let Lynn know to keep an eye out for modified parts of the floor," Lucy assured him. Lincoln gave her a weak smile but it slumped into a more exasperated expression afterwards. "Concerned hum. What is the problem? We avoided the prank, and it turned out to be nothing too bad either way," Lucy asked, "Not that they won't get worse once she finds out this one's been uncovered..."

"Oh it's nothing it's...it's just...April Fool's..." Lincoln sighed closing his eyes at the memories. Lucy couldn't help but join in the post-traumatic recollections. "Every damn year..." he grumbled.

"Sigh...it is a curse that this family can't seem to reverse," Lucy admitted as she hung her head, "...still...your efforts are always appreciated..." Lincoln shot her a confused look. She smiled up at him as she elbowed his ribs. "You don't know? You're the one that always does the best at fighting her off." Lincoln blushed as he remembered the numerous holidays they'd survived.

"That motel was the only one where we really got back at her," Lincoln smirked trying to diminish the praise.

"And then there was the one where we sent all of her stuff off in that moving truck," Lucy reminded. She joined her brother in his snickers with her more "verbal" version of the act.

"Okay yeah, but that was a full-on group effort," Lincoln stated, "Ya don't mess with the entire family THAT personally."

"Fucker should've died with what she had my double do..." Lucy growled.

"Please. That isn't anywhere near as bad as "Old Man" Lincoln's "love" for Mrs. Johnson..." Lincoln scoffed, "Besides, I'm sure you're not gonna keep them hidden from "everyone" forever." Lucy curled away pulling her brother's arm back with her once she saw his thumb sift through the strands of hair in front of her eyes. The hairs of her neck stood up and whatever lifeless organ lay in her chest stopped pumping at the sight and touch. Heat swamped her upper face in the stillness that followed. She knew that Lincoln had to feel her breath on the hand that was loosely gripping the front of her hair. After a few seconds however he took the appendage back to his side and looked to her with a returning smirk. Shakily she grinned at him before allowing herself to fall back against his body in relief. She knew that he had more respect than to just unveil such tightly kept secrets. To her amazement however...she didn't feel the degree of intrusion that she felt she would have from such teasing. For a moment she had even thought about what it might be like to let the hand pull back the overhanging bangs. It had just been wonder of course. The windows to her soul obviously would remain unseen.

"Still..." she coughed trying to pass off the intrusion, "you...you kept us safe that time when you went out and set off all of the pranks in the house yourself...you let us hide out in your room." Lincoln scratched the back of his head. He'd honestly hoped that she wouldn't remember that instance. It was the example that he could refute the least of his interference in Luan's schemes. "Sigh...such selflessness...I've honestly not seen such bravery before..." Lucy continued sending a shiver up the boy's spine as she pressed her head up against his cheek, "I promise, your funeral would have been magnificent afterwards had you not survived. I've still got it written down in my room for if I ever forget it. It'll be ready whenever your physical form is..." Lincoln had to shift his head to the side to vent the heat that'd been building in his face from the praise and...affection. He wasn't used to so much commending, and certainly not from the quietest Loud, but it planted the stupidest smile on his lips that he'd probably ever had. For a bit Lucy lay against him preserving the air of pride. To her dismay however the ridiculous expression he had did start to droop eventually. Once he'd tilted his head downwards she looked up to see a surprising face of discontent.

"Lincoln?" she asked rubbing her hair against his face, "What's wrong?"

"Well...you know it wasn't you guys I set the traps off for..." he reminded. Lucy looked downwards herself once she realized who he was referring to. While it was true that he had kept them safe from the pranks...well until they decided to try and find Leni, the reason that he had left the sanctuary he'd set up that day was to make sure that no visitors would have to suffer the hell that awaited those that operated within the house. Namely a certain girl that had been called over to finish the injustice done to him by the family's maniac. Fortunately for him, that girl had been on his side, but the memory seemed to cause a degree of regret or sorrow judging by his face.

"Ya know...I was...probably stupid..." he sighed. Lucy watched the expression as it shifted its eyes to the side. "Sometimes I...I think about what would have happened if she hadn't...ya know...left..." Lincoln said, though Lucy was unsure of if it was him talking to her or if he was just speaking his thoughts, "Like...I mean...she was...annoying as hell. But...were we like together or not? She would do everything she could to pester me but I...ugh. I did...like her...right? I mean...I'd usually just think about that pie in Luan's face to laugh at it, but seeing her in that other world...she came back to Royal Woods for that and...hm..." With a grunt Lincoln laid his body further back against the wall leaving Lucy propped up a few centimeters from him. With no support left, she put her hands on the ground to keep her balance, but her view remained on him. Lincoln still looked off to the side in subconscious insistence on his isolated thoughts. Lucy was somewhat surprised at the words he'd been speaking. It wasn't normal for him to give insight into remorse that he might have, but given her own bleakness it felt welcome. Almost flattering. He probably wouldn't have spoken as freely about it around the other sisters of the household given the usual teasing all of them gave him.

Even though she herself would join in on the cheering for a newfound love interest, she understood sorrow. And she'd had a feeling, even if he'd never said anything, that Ronnie Anne's departure had bugged him on some level, even if they still talked over the computer. He'd possibly lost his love, which was only made worse by the fact that he wasn't even sure what the extent of their bond had been exactly. In recent days thoughts about the girl had brought some annoyance to Lucy, probably for causing potential distractions from their goals. But seeing Lincoln's confrontation with the memories of her simply brought sympathy. Lincoln noticed the connection with Lucy's head as it hit his neck, but paid it less mind than he had during her slew of compliments.

"Sigh...Lincoln..." she said rubbing her face into his collar, "I know it hurt. I do." The boy's eyes tensed at the bluntness of the statement. "I know what it's like to keep...feelings unspoken. Undivulged. But there is nothing either of you could have done about it. Fate had different plans," she told him as his lips tightened, "Perhaps someday she'll come back...perhaps not...but please, fret not. Life does not end with heartbreak. Maybe with a knife, but not from that. It stings. Perhaps forever...but it gets better...if you let it. And you have let it. I've seen you. You laugh. You smile. You were a bit down after she moved, but before long you were back to your old self. Whether or not you two will want to be together again, that's not something that you can change for the time being." Lincoln's sigh was shakey, but his discomfort had lifted a bit. Lucy's let out a soft noise from her throat as he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her hair. Warmly she hugged him back.

"If I may make a suggestion...I know it's not...her...but you...do have, at least, "one" girl that will always...care about you..." Lucy reminded. Tilting her head, she could see Lincoln's face out of the corner of her eye hoping that he wouldn't take the shift in tone as offensive. Judging by his features he'd softened up enough to allow a half-hearted smirk, though his brows still bent to the sides. "I-I...um...I know...it's not the same...but if it helps I promise I will...I will be as comforting a um...girlfriend...as possible..." Lucy murmured lowering her head back down so as to hide the blush on it. It only worsened as she felt him run his fingers through her hair. "And in turn...those feelings that you...miss. Let them flow again. It will...help with the um...act..." she requested. Lucy felt her own breath become ragged as she felt his lips press through the hair onto the top of her head. Letting loose the hesitation, Lucy let her body collapse in his embrace. She smiled as her cheek pressed against his lower throat.

"I guess we should get to work on the preparations then huh?" Lincoln mused realizing how late in the day it was beginning to get.

"Well...unless you do wanna die from the memories," Lucy murmured shakily, "I mean we do have knives in the kitchen, and like I said the funeral's ready when you are. It would be a tremendous service I assure you..." Lucy's blush could hide no longer once Lincoln pulled her away and gave her his skeptical look. Lucy let out a stale "eep" as he pulled her back and konked his forehead lightly against her's. She couldn't see his own face's flare from the breath they were breathing from each other. Slowly, Lucy's face began to inch towards his though neither child seemed to notice the decreasing distance between them.

"Alright alright Ms. Gloomy, let's get to work," Lincoln smirked pulling back. Lucy's figure fell forward slightly from the retreated presence but she caught herself before she bent too far. Shaking off the tingling on her lips, the girl nodded after a pause and cleared her throat.

"Y-yes...let's..." she agreed. Luan's face continued to bob up and down as they got up.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Lucy asked. She stepped to the side to avoid the latest garment that was thrown out of the closet that Lincoln had been rummaging through for the past fifteen minutes.

"N-nah, I'm fine!" his muffled voice replied. Rolling her eyes, Lucy shook her head. How exactly he hadn't been able to find one simple suit, a type of clothing that only a BOY would wear in a household full of girls, was beyond her. She stepped back to where she'd been standing before to avoid the bra that propelled from the opening in the wall of Lori and Leni's room only to be pelted upside the head by an airborne coat. Grumbling, Lucy tried to pry the knotted mess off of her downed cranium. "Whoa! Is this the same suit that we got in the mall?" Lincoln exclaimed. With a few more tugs, Lucy yanked the coat off of her skull with a "pop" and looked towards the closet. The relief of having apparently finally found the item negated her frustrations with her inanimate assailant. Pulling her frazzled hair back into place, she waltzed over the door of the closet and popped her head in. What lay before her was a disordered sea of clothing pulled from their hangers with a boy crouched over one towards the back. Her face pink, Lucy whipped herself back into the main part of the room and put her back to the wall. She'd thought he would have headed back to his room before he started changing clothes. Had they been in the mall, Lucy may have urged on the speed of his dressing, but given the sight she'd been given of him in the closet she felt he deserved his time.

"...so...you come here often?..." she murmured.

"You're free to take another peek if you're interested "dear"," Lincoln replied cooly, though it was clear there was some hesitation to the words. Lucy grinned at the casualness of the unexpected response. It was good to see he was keeping his nerve in the flirting, even after such a brazen intrusion. Biting her lip lightly, she put her hands together and started pittering her fingers across the sides of them. Even though it was just teasing, the lacings of the flustering wordplay were still there. And to come from such a...decent-looking figure was pretty...stirring. The teeth against her lip pressed ever so slightly harder with the image of Lincoln in the closet in her mind as she tried to make his lips line up with his words. "Oh right I mean, should you care for a view beneath the clothes, it is there for you...my wilted rose," Lincoln's voice called from the chamber behind her putting his wordplay more inline with his "act" and lowering his tone to an emotionless droll. Lucy's hands cupped her brightening cheeks.

"Sigh..." she said quietly, "Though he be half-dressed in closet, thy prince of night does speak so modest..."

"I try," Lincoln's disinterested tone replied amidst the shuffles of fabric that he, "Though the majesty of such dreadful sentences pales in comparison to the sheen of my beloved's undead shell, her skin as smooth and lifeless as the pale moonli-"

"W-will y-you just get out here?" Lucy grunted trying to stifle the stutters of her clenching vocals. It was bad enough to be hearing so much adoration from such a lustful emptiness, but with how she'd been thinking her mind had automatically started to show her a series of Lincolns in different scenarios as those lines spoke from their mouths, quite a number of those scenarios being rather...blush-inducing. But that was...good...he was playing his part...perfectly...better than expected in fact...all that truly remained was seeing that he'd picked up on the habits properly and see how he'd look in that...suit. Almost as if reacting to her thoughts, the, now-dressed, boy stepped into the open. Lucy could feel her jaw slack as she shifted her legs against each other. If what Lincoln was wearing had been the suit that they had purchased a couple of days before, then Leni had done a damn good job of hiding it. All that remained of its original form was the fabric along the collar.

While the design had been simple, the touchings to the fabric that Leni had added accentuated the torso area more and stitched it downwards into some near-invisible bat-winged designs along the waist-line of it. The shoulders likewise had been stitched to separate the areas better from the chest of the suit and the pants now glistened with the jet-black finish. Practically the entire outside of the Halloween costume had been completely redone to make the suit look and feel like an actual suit. As if to highlight his debut, Lincoln cocked his head to one side and flicked it in the other direction atop the blood red shirt that had been stitched into the opening Leni had added below the throat. With how wet the inside of her lower lip had been getting, Lucy closed her mouth and swallowed the unusual amount of saliva. Taking the lack of input as a signal for further demonstration, Lincoln rolled his eyes, but smirked figuring he knew the perfect way to win the younger girl's favor, or at least his best chance at doing so.

Lucy's mind ordered her to back up as the sharp-dressed preteen approached her, each soft "clack" of the black shoes he'd found in the closet pulsing through her form with each step. Her body tensed as his right hand wrapped around her's. For a moment her eyes slid up towards the top of her head. Lincoln fought back his grin as hard as he could as he knelt before her on one knee. Slower than he had on Sunday, he lifted her hand towards him and lowered his face. With unheard contact, his lips touched the delicate skin of the back of her palm. For an eternity of seconds the mouth seemed to remain at the skin. Just when it had left had been unclear with how slowed and steady the act was, but when it'd fully disconnected, the eyelids of the boy's downturned face slid open revealing his raised pupils that eyed the girl face in romantic inquiry. Feeling a flow of ripples from her stomach and chest, Lucy couldn't help but let out a gasp of a hum in her throat at the sight and feel.

"Better?..." Lincoln asked figuring he'd somehow botched his fullest effort towards the act with the quietness that the girl gave.

"...what?" Lucy mumbled through trembling lips, "OH! Y-yes it's um...b-better..." Lincoln's worrying face molded into one of surprised satisfaction. Lucy must have just been taking the time to try and figure out what he had been doing with how quick he was to jump into the dance-routine's introduction, but with her confirmation he lifted back to his feet, his hand still linked with her's. Lucy felt her entire body shudder as she was pulled into a twirl which landed her in her brother's opposing arm. Under the gaze of those lowered eyelids and that freckled face surrounded by red and black dressings, Lucy was next-to-paralyzed in her support.

"Shall we practice then my blood-sucking darling?" he offered with a dancing twirl of his own that carried her. Lucy could only force air through her nostrils with how quickly the liquid he'd mentioned had started racing through her.

"Y-you...w-we...I-I...mumble...mumble..." Lucy stuttered quietly lifting Lincoln's brow at the confused reply, "Y-yes...of course...you c-clearly n-need work on how the d-dances go at the Ball..." Having an actual sentence to make sense of, Lincoln rolled his eyes. Of course she'd still find a way to criticize, but it was clear that he'd made more of an impact than he had in previous attempts.

"Very well then my life-draining ghoul, let us proceed with the lessons," he suggested pulling her up against him by her waist. Lucy was grateful that her hair hid her raised pupils. The overwhelming flirtations allowed her sense of control to return to her slightly as Lincoln broke apart from her. An enormous grin propped onto her face as one of his hands pulled her's into a flowing twirl that followed his.

* * *

Throughout a classroom of Royal Woods Elementary, an English teacher's lessons about the correct pronunciation and grammar rules for moderately complex sentences echoed throughout it. They weren't loud echoes, but they were enough that the vibrations likely would have been felt by ants crawling across the window sill. The only thing that truly kept the noise from reverberating all that much was the amount of students in the room. Each of their bodies absorbed enough of the sound that it dulled to a more normal tone in spite of the moderately intense lecture. Of the attendees however, most had completely zoned out. Under normal circumstances at least one students in the darker back corner of the room would have been soaking in the information as variously as possible but with recent events normalcy had been harder to maintain.

As if to keep her body occupied, Haiku tapped the pencil in her hand against her desk lightly. At first it was just once, but then it came down again. And again. And again. Keeping in line with the teacher's voice, her writing utensil clicked in a steady pattern against the surface of her table. She almost hated herself for the motions, but how else could she preserve her collectedness? It had been two weeks. TWO WEEKS now that the other head of The Mortician's Club hadn't been present. It was not the hardest task in the world to handle such a apathetic crowd, but it would have been nice to have some sort of support. But what's more, she worried. The emotion wasn't something that she had experienced nearly as often ever since she became goth a year before, but it did occasionally take hold of her, and the absence of one of her closest associates had been a rather effective trigger for the nervousness.

She may not have seen Lucy in every lesson of the day, but she knew when she was missing. Thanks to Persephone, she had confirmation of Lucy and her brother's little misadventure from the day before being true and had been just as unshowingly jealous of the lucky girl's predicament. But to miss the day after? True, zombies likely would inflict some envious damage that may take some time for extended mending, but that wasn't the real reason. At least...that's what she felt. The taps of the pencil accelerated as her eyes drifted downwards. It hadn't been like Lucy to miss both The Morticians Club AND The Writing Club, and it had been two weeks of the absences. She knew that she'd seen Lucy during the transformation that the school had gone through on Monday. She may not have recollected everything about the meeting, but she did know that she'd sensed some form of...conflict in the girl. Haiku pushed some air through her nose anxiously. Even when she'd gotten to interact with her as of late, there'd been...distance to her. She had...she'd been fading. It was like there was some wall that she was putting up when she was talked to. There was something on her mind. Haiku just hoped that whatever it was that Lucy wouldn't drift away because of it. Isolation was already a prominent component of their group, and to break off from even them... Haiku prayed that the excuses for her absences were viable. She didn't want to lose her.

* * *

Fangs drifted in circles around the top of the room he resided within. For the past half hour, his mistress and her guest had taken up habitation within her chambers and been reading through some books. It'd been a somewhat startling sight to see the girl with such a toothy grin on her face when they had entered, though that likely had to do with the faint noises the bat had been picking up down the hall before they'd arrived. It hadn't taken long for her to settle on what activity they were to partake in once they'd entered. The boy had felt much less resistant towards the stack of books that she'd seemingly materialized from beneath the cover of her bed than he had earlier in the week with how much quicker he was to select a novel. Lucy picked one of the grimmest titles she could find, but Fangs knew better than to go by just the cover with the color of another item that he'd seen her slip into its pages. Though she read her own material, Lucy knew every book in the room and, as before, seemed to sigh with each slip of Lincoln's normal personality through the readings of his gothic tone.

At least...that's what it looked to be at first. Fangs had been around Lucy long enough to know when she was criticizing and when she wasn't, and her input...was...different than their reading session earlier in the week...

"The scythe came down time and time again to reap the flesh from the soul," Lincoln read, his voice as stale as granite. Fangs at first had had to flutter down to get a better look at the child to make sure that it was the same boy that would sometimes visit. "But still the bones remained, the bones which, no matter the tearing, clung with the life of its owner's essence. In time it would give rise to a new form, but not on that nigh-"

"Sigh..." Lucy's voice interrupted. In slight annoyance, Lincoln's eyes lifted towards his head, though he was thankful to have lasted longer than he had in their initial training sessions.

"But not on that night," Lincoln continued once the judgement had been passed, "Nay, on that moonlit eve, the arm of the rended victim reached back up as the scythe came down its final time, its bloodied hand grabbing the object by its handle. Though it strain-"

"Sigh..." Lucy's voice sounded again. Lincoln bit back his glower to focus on the improvements. He truly had come quite a ways if he was able to get more than a sentence out. Lucy's interjections still downturned the mood though.

"Though it strained beneath the weight of the weapon and the push of its user, the skeletal digits held it in place with undeterred resolve. The attacker's eyes widened as her ears started to notice the soft cracking noises coming from the base of the wooden handle and as it-"

"Sigh..." Lucy said again. Now Lincoln's eye twitched. He was giving it his all, dropping EVERY bit of excitement from his voice for the performance and still she apparently found something wrong. He was sure it wasn't wholey undeserved, but she could at least give him SOME credit. What mattered though was that his voice was acceptable enough for the Ball. And if he was able to keep conversations to more minimal sentences, that might be the key to success.

"And as it snapped entirely she let out a scream. Her body fell towards the remains of the man that she had-"

"Sigh..." Lucy commented. Sucking in a breath, Lincoln closed his eyes. It'd be a second before he opened them again, though their lids hardly raised. If there was one benefit to the alerts Lucy had been offering for the errors in his voice it was that his expression was becoming no problem at all. He didn't want to become aggravated with her studious nitpicking, but she was making it a bit hard to sit through the barrage of admonishments she dispensed over the sound of his voice. At the least he was gathering more material with which to discuss to potential attendees of the Ball with each book he'd been looking through throughout the week. Letting the breath out, Lincoln blinked again and put on a smile as he looked back down at the pages. As he got ready to speak, the mouth closed into a wide confused frown.

"Sigh..." Lucy said again. Both him and Fangs looked to the girl. He hadn't said anything and apparently she'd found a problem with his gothic emulation. Looking at Lucy however, it seemed as though her focus had shifted from his vocals entirely. While he couldn't see her eyes, Lucy appeared to be staring straight at Lincoln as her cheek rested against a hand she had propped up on her leg. Looking around the room in confused unease, Lincoln's eyes eventually settled on the bat who'd perched on the post of the bed above which shrugged at him after giving his own look to the girl. "Sigh..." Lucy said again sending a quiver through Lincoln's spine with the direct hair-contact she was making with his vision. It was rather unnerving to see such direct actions from the normally hidden girl, especially with how it was directed at his position. Lincoln waited for the next "sigh", but instead Lucy, having apparently realized his gaze with the lack of words going to her ears, blinked and cocked her head. "...what?" she asked, seemingly oblivious towards her input.

"...what?" Lincoln almost spat, "What do you mean what? What's with all the "sigh"ing? I thought I was messing up." Lucy blinked a couple of more times before she felt a simmer creep along her lower face and she snapped her towards the book in her lap.

"O-oh. N-no. Y-y-you're fine," she stammered as she flipped through the pages of her literature, "It's just I was r-reading this story here and it's r-really g-good. Ha ha. It's...y-yeah it's a g-good one alright. Ha. And th-this part where the vampire he um...um..well it's a good one." Lincoln and Fangs shared equal expressions of worry and startledness at the blithering response.

"...you were looking at me though," Lincoln pointed out. A forced smile on her face, Lucy looked back up and put her cheek back on her hand.

"I c-can look down when my face is pointed somewhere else Lincoln," she told him as she vainly tried to demonstrate the movement of her eyes towards the book in her lap. With the unease of Lucy's oddness lifting, Lincoln shifted his seating a bit. The suit wasn't the easiest thing to situate himself in, but Leni had striven towards making the interior much more comfortable to relax in.

"Oh...I thought I was uh...messing up," Lincoln told her.

"No, you're perfect," she told him. Lincoln looked at her in surprise.

"I am?" he asked. Catching herself, Lucy snapped her reddening face back down to her book and coughed.

"Well I mean...y-you...you're okay. You're passable. You don't need anymore training is all..." she murmured. Blushing himself, Lincoln rubbed his arm. He hadn't expected the degree of compliments she gave him. He was sure there'd be at least something to criticize given how she'd reacted to his readings earlier in the week, but they seemed to have evaporated with the improvements he'd made.

"Still...this is...fun...ya know?" he murmured back. Lucy lifted her head. Now she was the one surprised. It wasn't everyday that she heard that king of approval towards another Loud becoming involved in her activities.

"It...is?..." she asked. Lincoln nodded hesitantly. Lucy glowed a red smile back down to her book. "Well...if you're enjoying it...it...m-may be best to stay like you are for a while. For practice of course." His smile turning to a grin, Lincoln set his book down and crawled over to her causing the smaller girl to back up a few inches. Her skin crawled as one of his hands landed at her side and the other began to reach towards her. She almost looked away under the mounting pressure that the face grinning down at her gave. Instead she jumped as the hand touched her book and pulled it away.

"And what is this great story you have here then huh? Edwin's Rock and Rollover Paradise or something?" Lincoln joked as he fell back into a sitting position next to her.

"Lincoln no! I-" Lucy tried to yelp, but even as she spoke, his eyes widened at the interior of the novel that he looked at. Lucy's head sunk towards her chest as his fading grin popped back up and shot at her.

"The ponies wore happy smiles as they bounced through the candy-cane jungle. Their laughter bubbled the very air of joyousness itself," he repeated from what he had read when he'd looked at the vibrant pages of the book that she had hidden within the binding of one of her more graphic titles. Lucy's grimace widened with the narration. Even Fangs eyes blinked a couple of times at the reading. "Guess I really don't have much to worry about if THIS is the goth I have to get the approval of," Lincoln chuckled. Folding her arms, Lucy turned her disgruntled chagrin to the side. Rolling his eyes, Lincoln scooted himself up against her and put his free arm behind her back. Slowly she looked back up to his suggestive face and, blushing, she nuzzled up against him and relaxed into his support. Her uneasy face lifted into reluctant pleasantness as he continued reading.

* * *

Lola hopped aboard the van as it came to a stop at the sidewalk outside of the front of Royals Woods Elementary. She did her best to keep from the view of her companions as they boarded, but they had their own focuses to tend to. For Lisa she had been busying herself with a series of equations in her head that she hoped might give some credence towards finding the whereabouts of the universe that Lincoln and Lucy had teleported to in their ordeals the day before. For Lana, her own head was filled with thoughts of the pair, but for entirely different reasons. Catching eye of Lynn, she noticed just as concerned a stare from her. There was no need to discuss whatever lay on their minds. It was quite obvious between the two and their unspoken agreement between their stares assured each other that once they got home there would have no more distractions. No more relaxing. It had come time to attack, and they knew that the next day was going to be the one that they'd been working towards.

Had they been psychic they may have been surprised to find thoughts of their brother and gothic sister floating through the heads of even more passengers. For whatever mask of hilarity she might wear, Luan had been sorting through ideas about the two's agenda no matter how much she might try to respectfully distance herself from the curiosity. Luna simply strummed her guitar and occasionally adjusted the knobs at the top of its head. Lori ran her fingers along her own utensil, but the wringing of her golf club felt more like a coping mechanism for the uncommon drifts in logic towards the children that had gotten to stay home. There was no jealousy towards the spared school-day, but she couldn't help but ponder on just what the nature of the boy and girl was in their recent inseparability. Were they truly just spending more time together or was there something more to it? She would have been a fool to not notice the lack of talking in Vanzilla, and she was not the only one to do so.

"Say kids, that sure was some day today huh?" their father joked from the front of the vehicle, "I'd say it was a rather "Egg"cellent afternoon at the ol' restaurant!" Those that weren't as caught up in their thoughts spared a groan at the older male's pun save for the jokester that it was meant for.

"Good one dad! You sure know how to "dish" em out!" Luan laughed earning another round of utters from the occupants.

"Yeah, if you enjoy "half-baked" humor," Luna commented.

"HEY!" the comedians exclaimed at the expense of most of the other passengers' laughter. Luna grinned as she got back to tuning her instrument.

"Ah the Tears of a Clown..." Luna hummed in the scowls of the jokesters' faces. Even with the mother's laughter, Lana and Lynn found themselves dropping out of the jovial atmosphere first. Noticing their similar exits, they looked towards each other in their fading chuckles before looking away anxiously. Lori lasted the longest aside from Leni who simply kept laughing on loop.

"She said clown," Leni laughed a few more times as she wiped a confused tear from her eye. The joke had at least helped make her forget about the confused frustrations that the family had had when they'd found her wandering between the High School and the mall. With both of the humorous members of the family incapacitated in their annoyance at the jab at them, the vehicle soon fell to silence once more. The lack of noise though was rather alien to the setting prompting a bit more prodding from the front seat.

"So...how was everyone's day?..." Rita asked slowly, "Lori, you haven't even told us how the golfing went..."

"It was just a gym routine mom," the teenager murmured as she watched the cars passing by from the window she laid against.

"Hrm...yes, but it is your FAVORITE gym routine," the older woman reminded. Receiving a disinterested noise in response, Rita moved onto her next specimen with an upturned lip. "And Luna, what about the music-class today?"

"Rocked it hard jammin' momma," she replied playing a little tune for her. At least one person in the van seemed to be in the mood to socialize.

"Oi love, I should have you perform at the restaurant sometime," her father suggested apparently having forgiven her for her upstaging quip, though by the look of betrayal that Luan gave him, she certainly hadn't.

"That'll require the rearranging of some of the furniture for a proper stage. By the way, did you make sure Kotaro got his bonus for the extra hours he put in yesterday?" Lori reminded. Rita rolled her eyes. Sure, her DAD was the one she'd speak to...

"Oh ding dang darnit!" the man said smacking his forehead.

"Well either way, we'll be home in a minute," Rita said flatly in the rejection she'd been dealt, "Hopefully Lincoln and Lucy have been okay. I didn't get any calls from them."

"Me neither," her husband added, "But I'm sure they're fine. Lincoln's a good kid. He's handled more than just her before."

"Still wondering why they got to stay home here..." the younger Lynn murmured glaring at the youngest school-participating Loud.

"W-what?" Lisa stuttered pulling at her collar, "First you people nearly tear me limb from limb for getting them lost and now you rail on me for letting them have the day off? They n-needed time to r-recover from yesterday!..."

"Yeah...I'll bet..." Lola spat. Lana gave her a bewildered look. Was she...actually...criticizing something pertaining to Lucy and Lincoln.

"Well fine, ya know what? If any of you ever get tossed into another universe don't come crying to me when you gotta go back to school the next day!" Lisa grumbled folding her arms over her chest.

"Now now kids, settle down. We're almost there," Rita tried to comfort from where she drove. She had been a bit offput by the silence of the group, but with the alternative she'd been given she would have taken the serenity of the quieted van from earlier. Whether as an answer to her dilemma or the alignment of the stars she was granted her wish. In the uneasy silence of the van's contemplating passengers, only Leni and Luna held their smiles contently.

* * *

"Damn it," Lucy said emotionlessly as her character flickered off of the computer screen. The corners of Lincoln's mouth curled upwards. His eyes however remained half-shut in effortlessly forced unsurprisedness.

"It's only to be expected my love," he told her in his own monotone, "You don't game as normally as I do. Besides, your character just joined the void which all are doomed to meld with one day. Remember it as a representation of the futility of life." Lucy blushed as she set her controller down.

"Sigh, you're right," she nodded as she fell against him on his bed, "I just thought I'd last a bit longer..."

"I'm surprised you're doing this at all. You weren't even invited, yet you joined almost delighted," he confessed.

"Sigh, am I not allowed to spend some time partaking in my "boyfriend's" interests?..." she asked. Both were surprised by the lack of recoil from the word she'd used. In their immunity to the awkwardness they'd been building, the brother and sister smiled at each other. Setting down his own controller, Lincoln wrapped his arm around her waist and Lucy put hers to his chest. With a small smile she laid her head beneath his chin and rested there.

"In the graveyards do you walk...Among bones and blood you toil..." Lincoln said quietly rocking her back and forth.

"Through the headstones have you sought...But their tombs you've left unspoiled..." Lucy continued. The two squinted under the delight of the remembered rhyme.

"Your hands they dig and fill with dirt..." Lincoln proceeded as he ran his fingers through her hair, "Another corpse at rest..."

"Your heart it hangs and beats with mirth...But your mind doth attest..." Lucy's auto-piloted speech continued. Softly she rubbed her face into his throat as she went on. "Is this the scene you love so dear?..."

"The path ahead at end..." Lincoln said trying to make up for Lucy stealing his verse of the poetry.

"Do you...despair and...act in...fear?..." Lucy almost mumbled. To Lincoln it may have felt as though she was trying to remember the words he'd spoken the week before, but in reality her mind was sorting through them as it analyzed the sentence.

"Please," Lincoln began to finish as he pulled her away from him. Lucy's face reddened under his gaze causing her to wriggle a bit. "You...have a...um...-" Before Lincoln could finish, the girl put her hands to his chest and pushed him causing him to fall backwards onto his bed. As quickly and quietly as possible, Lucy jumped from her spot and darted to his door, which she put her ear to. The noises she heard caused her heart to sink slightly.

"Sigh, they're back," she grumbled. Lousily, Lincoln shook his head and looked at her in confusion as his eyes rolled back into place. "The others. They've returned home."

"Oh well um...yes," Lincoln coughed as he felt his blood lowering back down from where it'd raised to during the recital, "Oh! Wait! What should we do? This is the last day before the dance! They're probably not gonna ignore us with the whole outfit and emotionlessness and everything if I keep doing this."

"Don't worry about that my love," Lucy said grabbing an orange shirt which she threw to him, "You just put that on over it and I'll slip out to somewhere more predictable. We might be able to get some more "training" in tonight if we're careful about it, but for right now let's act natural."

"R-right..." Lincoln nodded. He blushed as the younger Loud wrapped arms around his neck and body and nuzzled his cheek. Hearing the footsteps downstairs, Lucy reluctantly let go of him and slipped through the door to his room. As he began to pull the orange shirt apart his door opened back up allowing Lucy's face to pop back in.

"I'll see you in a bit," she said. Once she'd received a nod from Lincoln she popped back out. And then popped back in again. "It won't be long," she told him. Receiving another nod she slipped back out once more...and then tilted her head back in. "I love you," she told him. After a short pause she exited and almost immediately put her face back into the room. "In a fake-girlfriend kind of way. I-um...sigh. I'll be um...I'm just down the hall here..." After looking from one end of the room to the other, Lincoln's pupils drifted back to the pale face at his doorway and waved at her with a nod and a smile. Grinning in red, Lucy tilted her face downwards and slipped out into the hall a final time just as Lincoln began to hear the footsteps approaching the stairs on the floor below them. As he climbed through the shirt he'd been given the sounds overtook the upper floor. He knew what it sounded like to be at home when the others returned, but he was used to a more rambunctious arrival. The crowd sounded unusually calm compared to their usual state of calamity, especially for a day that was on the second half of the week. Shrugging to himself, Lincoln hopped off of his bed. Even if the noises were oddly muted that would hopefully just make his camoflauge easier. After checking to make sure the red and black of his throat's clothing was tucked beneath the shirt, Lincoln ran his fingers around the sleeves he'd pulled up to his shoulders under the orange shirt and stepped into the hallway.

Instantly he spotted the latest girl to ascend the steps. Lynn stared at him until he registered the presence in front of him and shot two finger-guns at her. To his surprise, the older sister scrunched up her nose at him and entered her room.

"Great, she's here too..." he heard her mutter under her breath as the door closed. Lincoln scratched the back of his head. After their warm welcome back to their world the night before, he was sure that all was forgiven of their victories against her, but the sting of failure must have still been lingering beneath the surface. Seeing the next sister that climbed towards him he put his hands on his hips and smiled at her.

"Hey there Lisa," he greeted, "Everything go okay at school?" The nerdy girl pressed her glasses up the bridge of her nose in what seemed to be disinterest towards his being.

"You guys better be grateful," she grumbled as she skittered past. That had not been expected either. Lincoln peered at her small form as she vanished into her abode to continue her search for the universe that her test subjects had visited. The curt acknowledgement was one of mystery to Lincoln, just as her previous flipped attitude towards those that had stayed home had been when she'd first suggested the day off for them. Next in line was the eldest sibling who forced a smile as she passed, though beneath the delighted mesh it was clear that something was amiss with how she looked at him in her forced recognition. Lincoln hung at the top of the steps until Lori had opened the bathroom door before descending the steps so as not to look weird in case she caught him staring at her closing of the door.

"Hey brah, have a good day?" Luna asked as she passed.

"You know it!" Lincoln grinned at her. At least SOMEBODY was acting normal.

"Did ya have to ask?" Luan perked up behind her as they continued up the steps, "There isn't a Loud who doesn't enjoy some peace and "quiet"!" Lincoln smiled, but more from Luna's unamused reaction. Oddly enough, Luan's bought of laughter left her rather quickly. Once she'd peeked back down at the boy and noticed that Lincoln had kept staring at them she plastered her face with a wide grin and bounded up the flight twice as fast. Lincoln smushed his facial features at their disappearing bodies as he reached the bottom step. Even the life of the party had had reservations of some sort. What had he and Lucy done to deserve such strange views?

"Sigh..." he said turning to the kitchen. He hadn't noticed the refrigerator door that'd been open until the cold air swept up his pant-legs. It shut slowly revealing the younger girl that'd been getting a juice box staring up at him, straw motionless from the inaction of her mouth. Lola just looked at him with as perplexed an expression as she had worn in the line to the bathroom that morning. "Oh! H-hey Loes!" Lincoln laughed nervously realizing the oddness that he must have displayed, "Y-you...ya have a good day at um...school?..." Silently she walked towards the doorway he was at. "Yeah I th-think me and Luce have healed up pretty good. Lisas can really work wonders on ya!" he told her trying to divulge his made-up day of recovery for him and Lucy to her, "I c-can't even feel the b-bite marks anymore!"

"Sure..." he thought he heard Lola's voice murmur as she started up the steps. Slumping his shoulders forward, Lincoln kicked at the ground and moved over to the fridge. Was that it then? Were the others just jealous that he and Lucy had gotten the day off? Out-of-character phrases aside, that was the impression he seemed to get from the girl at the fridge and Lynn.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR ROOM!" Lori's voice screamed causing Lincoln's head to jolt up and swallow the bite he'd taken of a new breakfast burrito. At about the same time Lucy poked her head out from her doorway with Lynn but almost instantly slid it back in. Once she realized what the commotion had been about she knew the best course of action would be to play dead if the teenager came looking for her. She couldn't believe they'd forgotten to pick up the mess they'd made from the older girls' closet earlier. Lynn however was beside herself at the sight of her roommate returning nervously to the spot on her bed as she tried to ignore the inescapable holler that'd sounded from down the hall.

"Heh, guess it'll be easier to take her out than we thought..." Lynn mused from the doorway she was still clinging to as she watched the nerve-wracked youngster. While Lola had no interest in whatever drama Lori was spinning with how her thoughts had been weighing on her that day, Lynn's input that she'd overheard as she rounded the top of the steps and headed to her own room had burrowed into her ear to add to the collecting ideas in her head. Upon reaching her door, Lola closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Sternly she turned the knob and pushed it open revealing her twin on the other side who was hard at work on what looked to be a few different weapons. At first Lana rolled her eyes at her roommate expecting some form of insult to her tinkering, but the girl's slow approach and the memory of her jeer in the car loosened the animosity. Lola closed her eyes and took a breath again before relaxing her face. Solemnly, she looked to the side trying to avoid eye contact. She knew she couldn't just ignore the obvious interaction however. Bit by bit, her pupils drifted to her look-a-like and she sighed.

"...let's talk," she said.

* * *

"Like literally the worst!" Lori growled as she threw her bra back into the closet, "Those two get the entire day off and they go about ransacking the place!"

"Gosh Lori, I don't know. It just seemed like the closet," Leni said, "I mean the roof looked okay." Lori looked at the airhead in ambivalent analysis as she put a fresh coat of polish on her nails.

"Babe, it's Lincoln. I'm sure whatever he did he didn't mean it," Bobby commented from Lori's computer screen.

"Ugh, you're just saying that cause you're "bros"," Lori scoffed as she picked up one of her coats.

"Well...the little dude is pretty cool," he admitted.

"Honestly Bobby, just look at this!" Lori exclaimed pulling the computer screen towards the closet. Bobby put a finger to his chin as his eyes swirled around.

"Baby, that's nothing," he chuckled, "you should see Carl's messes."

"Ugh, and maybe you should show some consideration!" she grumbled. Having had enough of the commentary, Lori bent her finger towards the keyboard.

"Babe no wai-!" Bobby got out before the tap on the device shut his window down. Justifiably annoyed, the oldest sister of the household got to work scooping up the clothes and rearranging them back into their places in the closet.

"I should be making those two munchkins do this," she complained as she hung up one of her dresses, "Honestly Leni, I can't see how you, of ALL PEOPLE, can just sit there doing your nails with this kind of a mess made out of our CLOTHES."

"Oh it's not too bad," she smiled blowing on one of her sets of finger-tips, "Like, I can totally make a good skirt and top out of the selections they picked. Just need to get some scissors and a needle and thread later." Lori's eyes tightened at the uncaring casualness. Hanging up a few more items, Lori spotted an empty slot towards the back of the closet where a covered item had been hanging the day before. Out of all the items she'd been going through that one, at least the casing for it, had been nowhere to be found.

"Yeah, well maybe you'll think again after hearing that they made off with your little bagged-hanger," Lori told her sure that that would win the other blond over. Instead Leni appeared at the doorway with a satisfied glow on her face.

"Oh good! They found the suit!" she practically cheered. Lori cocked a brow at her. The...suit... The brow lowered back to its former position as she thought. Leni had indeed mentioned a suit when they'd been looking for Lincoln and Lucy the day before, but she just assumed that it had been her babbling nonsense. She had said it was ready in HER room though, and their closet had been ransacked with the only object missing being the hangar that had held a bag that had mysteriously appeared over the last couple of days.

"What...suit?..." Lori muttered. Leni put her hands over her mouth.

"Oh em gosh...I like...I mean...what's a suit?" the girl asked. Lori smacked her forehead. Feigning ignorance so hard that she was probably beginning to believe it, Leni shrugged her shoulders while Lori pushed her away from the closet and sat her on her bed. Folding her arms, the older girl glared down at her. "What?" Leni asked.

"What suit are you talking about?" Lori repeated.

"I was talking about a suit?" Leni asked. Lori's usually flattened irritation became more belligerent with how curious she now was towards the subject they were discussing.

"Lincoln and Lucy. You said you had a suit for them yesterday," Lori stated loudly.

"You heard that?" Leni gasped.

"You were with the entire family when you said it to Lisa's door," Lori sighed.

"Oh gosh..." Leni gulped, "You don't think the others heard did you?"

"WHAT IS THE SUIT FOR?" Lori growled. Leni clenched her teeth in fright. There seemed to be no way to hide the fact that she had had a suit for Lincoln any longer.

"It's for a play that he and Lucy are putting on about Martians!" Leni cried, "please don't tell the others! It's supposed to be a secret!" Lori's eyes traveled upward irately. Well, that had explained the alien-talk the day before, but it did little to shed light on the issue. And she was sure, given Lucy, that it likely wasn't aliens that were the reason as to why they had gotten the suit.

"Leni...okay, look, where did the suit come from?" Lori asked.

"From Reininger's," Leni told her. There was no point in resisting now that she was in on the secret.

"Okay, good. And...why didn't I ever see it?..." Lori pressed on.

"Oh, they like asked me to keep it a secret so I brought it home later after they'd already gotten home," Leni said. Lori's mouth shifted around her face. There it was again. Lincoln and Lucy. Doing...something. Something...unusual.

"Alright, now, WHY did they get it?" Lori asked.

"For the martian play," Leni stated happily. The bemused expression fled as her older sister grabbed her arms and shook her.

"LENI. I know this isn't your forte, but THINK. What all did they talk about when the transaction was being made?" Lori asked as clearly as possible.

"I have a fort?" Leni blinked.

"LENI!"

"Okay! Um-uh!...hold on..." she squeaked, "Well...they were trying to go to different registers...and um...gosh what happened?...let's see...okay, different registers cause each one had something wrong with it and when they ran out they asked where the other employees were but Fiona and Miguel were on break so it was just me and then Lincoln started banging his head on the conveyor belt and-"

"Wait...banging his head? Moving registers? Asking for other employees?" Lori repeated. Leni nodded her head. While the younger blond remained as delighted as ever, Lori's more calculating mind put a more...suspicious view on the matter. "...did they see you first or did you see them first?"

"Oh, I totes saw them first. They jumped apart when they heard me," Leni declared proud to have won a victory. The triumph escaped Lori however who was more focused on other matters of the story.

"...apart?" she asked, "What do you mean apart?"

"Oh, well like they were walking towards the registers with the bag and Lucy like had her head on Lincoln's shoulder and he had his hand on her waist. They were like totes adorable, but I think I startled them so they jumped a bit," Leni told her. Lori's eyes widened at the information. They narrowed as their pupils slid back to the girl she'd been questioning.

"Uhuh..." Lori murmured, "...okay...well...what did THEY SAY about the suit when they purchased it?..." Leni poked at her lip a couple of times in thought.

"Um...uh..." the airhead mumbled. Finding few answers, she scratched the back of her head. "OH!" she exclaimed, "They talked about the "Martians" Club practicing a reenact...reenactma...a play at school. That's what they needed it for!" She rubbed her arms together giddily. She wasn't used to remembering so much stuff at once. Lori on the other hand appeared much less enthused. She knew there was no "Martians" Club, and with the goth that was involved she could only guess what word the siblings had actually said to Leni's misunderstanding ears. Even so, that itself seemed like an excuse of sorts. Feeling she'd siphoned all the information she could from the dimmer girl, Lori put a hand to her forehead. It was a bit of a mess to process but it was nice having more detailed intel on ordeals involving the two. What she was able to gather though only helped to fuel the unnerving ambiance she'd been feeling about the two . Whatever they were up to...it felt...weird.

"Hey Uncle Eddie! Bro hug!" a familiar male voice sounded from Leni's phone.

"Like oh em gosh! VOM's gonna be on soon!" Leni squealed, "Wait...it's Thursday."

"Yeah, I had you set it for today since it shows the rerun Lucy missed last week tonight," Lori reminded, "Figured YOU would be the one to need the alert more, but yeah, I'd forgotten too with all this...mess here."

"Oh that's right! She missed it!" Leni remembered as she put her hands to her cheeks.

"Ya know we don't all have to be there. You've already seen it. You can skip it if ya want," Lori told her.

"Psha, yeah right. I wouldn't miss more Blake Bradley," Leni announced with a wave of her hand, "besides, it'll serve as a refresher for when we see tomorrow night's episode. I can use those sometimes."

"You have no idea..." Lori murmured as she rolled her eyes.

"No idea about what?" Leni asked.

"N-nothing," Lori grinned innocently, "I'm...I'm gonna go tell Lucy. You just get things ready downstairs."

"Alright!" Leni nodded. Thankful to have dodged her own questioning, Lori slipped out into the hall. But as her hand fell from the doorknob she looked down the hall with a warbled expression. Normally the hallway would be filled with life. Playfulness from the twins or an explosion here or there from Lisa's experiments. But that day? Nothing. Not a soul paraded through the warzone that should have been the household playground. Whether or not it were the case, Lori could feel the pulsations of the middle children's orchestrations snaking their way through the peculiar scene. Hopefully though she'd be able to get some answers during that night's VOM. Trying to put on a pleasant face, she started towards Lynn and Lucy's door.

* * *

"And she just," Lincoln said but stopped as he noticed his tone which he caught and lowered down to a more gravely lifeless feel, "And she slid away up the steps, like some silent ghost doing its best to ignore my essence..."

"Hrm...yes, that is...odd," Lucy agreed. The girl tilted her head to the hand she had resting at her chin to stroke her jaw. "Well...you did elicit a word to describe your act rather than actually doing it. That's more my thing," Lucy reminded but placed her other hand in his, "Not that I mind that...my ever paling ghoul..." Her words may have illustrated a lack of color, but Lincoln's face said otherwise from the compliment. "Sigh," she said, "Lola may have been a bit offput by the oddness of your manner down there, but I do appreciate it...since Lynn left a bit ago, perhaps we can spend some time reading in here or...hm...maybe we um...hm..." Now Lucy's face joined her brother's in hue. "...Lincoln...you um...know that I...love-er-...appreciate...all that you're um...doing for me right?..." she asked. The boy's face brightened ever more as the hand that had been rubbing her jaw clung to his arm and began drifting up it.

"Oh y-y-yeah...o-of course Luce..." he said quietly, unable to maintain his emotionlessness. As the hand got to his neck he put his own to her cheek and brushed the bottoms of her bangs delicately. He couldn't tell whether their bodies were moving or not with the view they had of each other, though he could feel her breath on his lower face growing hotter with each exhale. As the air became its warmest, Lucy curbed the direction of her face and brushed her head up alongside the side of his.

"It'll be fine. We can spare some creepiness for some of them," Lucy told him in the embrace he gave her, "It'll all be worth it...tomorrow night..."

"Yeah...tomorrow night..." Lincoln repeated. While the anticipation for their longed victory pumped their pride, a lingering sense of worry fell upon them. One more day. That's all they had left. And then it would be...over. Their journey, their scheming, their adventures. All of it...it'd be concluded. But...could either of them truly walk away from what they had shared? Just return to their prior misfit isolations? They didn't want that. And they knew that. But...it would be over. Right?

"Lincoln," Lucy said pulling back slightly and looking to him. As intently, he peered back down at her, his hands clutching her elbows. "Lincoln I-...I don't...um..." The shorter girl's fingers crawled across his arms while his slid up her's. The two stood in time in their linked affection. Their bodies flowed with contact, a sense that a couple of weeks back would have been rather alien to them, especially for Lucy. But with how far they'd come, their selves craved the companionship. The warmth would not last however as a loud bang at the door to the girl's room caused them to jump.

"W-wha-" Lincoln murmured.

"Hey Lucy!" Lori hollered from the other side. The two within the room winced at the intrusion. Lincoln may not have had the sleeves of his suit showing beneath those of his normal shirt, but it would still be a bit odd he'd think to find him standing with Lucy there. Seeming to have gotten the same impression, the girl herself had joined in looking around for a place to hide him before getting an idea and looking towards the underside of her bed. Realizing what she was thinking, Lincoln gave her an unsure look.

"Really? You think I'm gonna fit-"

"Yo! Luce! I'm coming in!" the older Loud outside the door called. Their frantic expressions enlarging, Lucy and Lincoln dove for the bed's bottom and pulled out the wooden box beneath it. As they opened it Lincoln looked the inside of the coffin over.

"Hm...you know maybe I should just get under the be-eh-AH!" Lincoln's voice cut off as Lucy shoved him in and shut the lid. To ensure his entrapment she hopped up and sat on top of it while grabbing a book from her bed to complete the illusion of relaxation. As she flipped to a page, her door opened revealing the taller sister on the other side.

"Oh sorry," Lori apologized realizing the disruption she must have caused, "Hey I was um...just coming to let you know that last week's VOM is gonna be on soon. You coming?" Legitimately startled by the information, Lucy dropped the book.

"Oh! U-uh...um...s-s-sure," she replied with a forced smile, "Er...actually...I might have um...something to d-do up here...I don't really know if...um..." Lori tilted her head at the stuttering goth. It was not at all like her to miss out on a new episode of her favorite vampires for a second week. Something definitely seemed odd. "...l-look. Tell ya what. You guys start without me and if I come down I'll join in..." Lucy mumbled as she poked her pointer-fingers together. Lori's eyes narrowed at the girl. With Lucy's face uncomfortably downturned, the teenager looked around the room for signs of anything amiss. Finding nothing, her pupils fell back to Lucy and she shook her head.

"Alright..." she sighed, "But don't expect us to keep quiet about spoilers if you don't see it..." Receiving only a nod from the younger girl, Lori's brows bent in forlorn. She closed her eyes as she pulled the door shut. Once Lucy was sure that the steps had faded into the distance, she wiped her forehead. Then she gripped the sides of the coffin. All of a sudden she had started to rock and jiggle about on top of the hard box. Remembering just who she had forced into her sleeping quarters, Lucy hopped off and opened the chamber. What she saw put a hand to her mouth. Smirking back at her with a leg propped up by his bent knee and a hand behind his head was Lincoln. Noticing her startled expression, he gave her a wink causing her to blush.

"Ya know, this is pretty spacious once you get used to it," he commented pushing the bust of Edwin away from him, "Though this dude really likes to get in your face."

"Y-yeah, he uh...does that..." Lucy murmured. Carefully she picked up the bust but her eyes remained on the suggestive male before her. "I-I...um...y-y-you heard what was...s-said...r-right?..." she coughed. Sliding his eyes towards the door Lincoln nodded.

"I think we've got the whole routine down Luce. You can head off if ya want," Lincoln shrugged. Biting the insides of her lips, Lucy glanced at the door and then back down to Lincoln. "Unless of course you wish to cozy up with your coffin-mate my dear corpse..." Lincoln suggested wiggling his eyebrows. Blood rose up through Lucy's face like mercury in a thermometer. She caught Edwin just as he started to slide out of her failing grip and turned her face away from the boy to alleviate her flooding cheeks. Truth be told...she honestly might not mind missing the episode that she had skipped the week before...but...that probably would only upset the impressions of the pair further after Lincoln's misspeaking when Lola had been around.

"Sigh...as much as I would love the embrace of your death-gripped body my moon beam, I should probably partake in the viewing of mortal entertainment," she said bringing Edwin's bust up to her face, "My only regret is that it will keep me from my beloved...Edwin you know what we're doing, just roll with it!" Lincoln couldn't help but smile at the offense the object apparently took from the affection she'd directed at him.

"You know...I could always join in," Lincoln told her. Now Edwin did drop. Scooting the floor-bound bust to the side of the coffin with her foot, Lucy looked to Lincoln who poked his head out of the opening of the coffin.

"You?" she asked. Nodding, Lincoln pulled one of the sleeves of his suit into view and wiggled his eyebrows once more.

"Besides, laying here's making me notice this irritating crinkle in a part of my pant-leg," he added. At first Lucy questioned the absurdness of such an inclusion, but with the remembrance of his outfit, she cupped her upper lip with her hand. It was true that he did indeed have the wrappings of a vampire...and it would give her a better understanding of how far he had come in his training to see how well he blended with the tonelessness of the subject matter. Weighing his unexpected appearance to the two older sisters with the benefits that his inclusion could provide left little room for argument. Her skin crawling with anticipation, Lucy nodded her head and put out her hand to help him up.

* * *

"And that's when she said "that's not my foot, that's my liver!" Mr. Coconuts declared sending Luan into fits of laughter.

"Oh Mr. C, you are a laugh riot. Why, you really know how to tickle the "organs"!" Luan replied joyously. Even if Mr. Coconuts rolled his eyes, the joke's success was assured. With such morbid material she knew they'd be a knockout for the Surgeon's Club at the High School. Chuckling a bit more at her internal wordplay, Luan rolled over and put her other hand under her pillow. Grinning, she pulled out a picture from under it and sighed. As ridiculous as they looked, Benny's swauve expression next to the "modeling" stance Luan gave with the arm she had on him in the picture made her giddy with delight. Her pimple's ever glowing presence had long since faded into the uncaring corners of her mind. All that was left whenever she looked at the line of photos was delight at the companionship she enjoyed. For her entire life she'd always gotten ridicule from some subject or another, but Benny? He truly understood her and the joy which she sought to bestow upon the audience.

Luan rolled over onto her back to stare up at the pictures as she pulled them up over her face. The tunes from Luna's guitar above slowly seeped the smile from her. It wasn't true that EVERYONE hadn't understood before him. Lincoln had absolutely made some massive steps in humor as his time as her assistant and, as much as she hated to admit it, even had the potential to overtake her...should he have wanted that life. While part of her was sad to not continue to guide such a promising student, she was also relieved that she wouldn't have to be worrying about being upstaged. Her brows bent inwards at the thought. She may not say it, but that was one thing she couldn't stand. And for however much a weakness it was, she could let it consume her to...questionable degrees under the right circumstances. She did regret her jealousy of Lucy's acceptance to the stage over her, but she couldn't help how she felt, especially with how long she had sought that position for herself. Thankfully her apprentice had been pretty easygoing about the whole thing. She let out a sigh and put the pictures down on her chest. That was one attribute that those two shared. Their care for others. Lucy may have been a bit harder at showing it, but if you were on her good side she valued you over an obituary. And Lincoln...well he was Lincoln. His sacrifice during the Assistant-Bot incident spoke loudly enough for him.

Remembering the television monitor that it had had for a head being thrown down in front of the siblings by the bloodied and battered boy, Luan's face softened. He had endured so much because of her and still took the blame. Any other sibling would have pointed their finger at the true culprit, if not thrown the TV straight at her. But not him. And both he and the black-haired girl had made sure to remind her of the incident when they required her assistance afterwards. Not that she could blame them. Lincoln had more than earned it and she knew that the others would kill to have a leash on her, but the jointed users of her debt had started to remind her of her messups a bit too freely for her liking in the past few days, and the urge to get ahold on just what the two were up to was...tantalizing her senses. It was likely just for curiosity's sake, but it would have been nice to also get a leg up over those two in the "blackmail" game. Catching a different series of strums from above, Luan eyed the bed above her's.

"Ah gee sport, you doin' alright?" Mr. Coconuts asked as he was propped up over the rim of Luna's bed. Cracking an eye open to look at the newcomer, the rockstar shrugged and nodded her head.

"Everything's all good mate," she replied cooly as she strummed another series of chords, "How bout yourself?"

"Well I'm just dandy!" he replied doing a little jig on her bedside, "but ol' puppetmaster down there's getting awfully ancy!"

"HEY!" Luan growled popping her head into view. Luna smirked at the shrugging doll as Luan blushed.

"What's up gal pal?" Luna hummed while her fingers plucked a few of the chords more methodically. Getting no response for a few seconds, Luna plucked the strings again, albeit more slowly. She wasn't used to quietness from the maniac.

"Oh it's nothin', I-"

"Don't sound like nothin'," Luna chuckled. It was a pleasantry to see something disturbing the chaos-bringer of the household. Luan's eyes drifted back and forth in thought until she sighed.

"It's just...Lincoln and Lucy-"

"Brah, you're still going on about em?" Luna almost laughed. Luan's blush highlighted the scowl she shot her roommate. "Now I don't know why I think this, but something tells me you owe at least ol' white-hair," Luna chuckled strumming a bit faster, "whatever they've got goin' that's their business. Just relax mate. It's Friday tomorrow. No need to stress." Nodding her head, Luna's tune picked up speed and the nods soon became bobs to her newfound beat. Conceding, but reluctant, Luan sighed again and lowered herself back down to her bed. Luan may have had her unappreciation towards the brashness of Luna's consoling, but it did help to strain her frustrations, for as little as it did. She was at least able to return to her previous resting position without that annoying heat in her stomach when she thought about the two younger siblings.

Whether she ignored it or not however, its linings still lingered in the recesses of her organs.

* * *

Blissfully, Leni sipped her cup of beet-smoothie during the commercial break preluding the upcoming show. She could hardly wait. Getting to see VOM was always a highlight of her week and now she was going to get to see it two nights in a row. Obviously she remembered the epic laser battle that Tristan had had with the cyborg from the parallel universe's future and the appearance of that superhero to fight it at the Earth's core, but she always did seem to forget at least one detail in the weekly breaks between episodes. It'd be nice to have a refresher. Lori however seemed much more on edge. Leni might have chalked the fidgets up to the boxy coffins that they sat in if Leni had not personally modified the cushioning within them for their comfort. Whatever was causing her wobbles towards the flight of stairs next to them must have been an issue of her own person. Looking to the stairs herself, Leni noticed something else. The coffin to her left was empty. That must have been it! Lucy hadn't come downstairs yet!

"Oh Lori, don't worry. Lucy will like totes show up. Just be patient," Leni told her. The suggestion only helped to egg on the older girl's anxiousness.

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure about that," Lori muttered, "I don't know if you've noticed but there's been something...weird with that girl and a certain...boy recently. And I'm willing to bet that-"

"What? You got to meet her boyfriend?" Leni gasped, genuinely offended, "And after I was the one that consoled her? For shame!" Lori blinked a few times and lifted her lips towards her nose.

"...boy...friend?..." Lori repeated slowly. Folding her arms over her chest Leni shook her head.

"Well, she didn't say the word, but it was totes obvs that she like had a crush on some guy. I just can't believe you got to meet him before me!" Leni sighed. As Lori's eyes moved back and forth in their sockets her jaw lowered a bit. After a few seconds, her mouth clamped back together and she began to get out of her coffin. "Lori? Where are you going?" Leni asked.

"To pay our little goth-girl a visit," she muttered, "She obviously isn't coming down, and if she's disappeared from her room I have a pretty good idea of who's-AHHH!" Lori leaped back from the sudden appearance of the girl they'd been talking about.

"Hi Lucy!" Leni greeted having noticed the moppet as well.

"L-L-Lucy!...hi!" Lori exclaimed as convincingly as possible.

"Greetings my dear sisters," she said with a bow, "Please forgive my tardiness. I was just getting our other member ready." Lori and Leni looked at each other.

"Other...member?..." they asked in unison. Lucy nodded and stepped to the side revealing the slightly taller figure that they had assumed to be a shadow standing behind her. The two older girls gasped at the sight. Standing before them was Lincoln, legs and body draped in black with a red-clothe showing from where they collar split apart. Adding to the standard attire he'd been granted, Lucy had also tied a cape around his throat and applied some fake vampire-teeth and eyeliner to his face. Sufficed with the attention, Lincoln grabbed the end of the cape with one of his hands and performed a bow of his own glistening the red-gemmed brooch on the cuff of his outfit.

"Oh...em...god..." Leni said grabbing her cheeks, "I knew that would look good on you!" Lori backed up a few steps to her coffin nonplussed. The arrival of the duo had seemed like a cosmic slap in the face. Sure she had been wary of their association, but she had not expected Lucy to show up, let alone bring a...friend. And now that they were there what was there to say? Badger them about what they'd been up to? Right as the show that she had originally went to get Lucy for was about to start? What sense did that make? And Lincoln?...since when did he watch VOM?

"Please, we do hope you don't mind the addition," Lucy told them as she held her arm out to Lincoln, "I assure you, he has gone through more than enough "rituals" for the pre-show phase."

"Indeed," he agreed just as emotionlessly. Lori's lips pursed and her eyes nearly popped out of her head at the tone the boy carried. What the hell was going on? How had he emptied the life of his speech so effortlessly? It was like he'd become a boy version of Lucy in speech from just that one word alone!

"Oh not at all," Leni replied, "But we like, only have three coffins."

"That's okay," Lucy said as she slid back over to her brother and wrapped her arms around his, "We're smaller. We can share mine." Both Lori and Lincoln looked at the youngest member in surprise, though the boy's view returned to the blonds with an agreeable smile quicker than Lori's could force itself back to a more normal state.

"You sure? It may be a bit crowded," Leni told them, "I could always sit on the floor if you want another." Lucy and Lincoln shot the idea back and forth in a glance towards each other before returning their faces to her.

"We're fine," they said stalely, though their faces held content smiles. Leni smiled back just as genuinely.

"You two are very creepy," she said cheerfully.

"Why thank you Leni," Lucy said.

"And you are very lovely this evening," Lincoln complimented earning blushing jubilation from the older girl's face. Lori watched in baffled disbelief as the two newcomers tried to get into the box at Leni's left. Proving rather difficult with the amount of times that Lincoln and Lucy's sides kept bumping into each other, the pair eventually settled on Lincoln sliding in first as Lucy hung at the side. Once he was settled the younger Loud crawled in. At first she tried to attempt to line herself up against him hoping to fill the impossible fit of the space that was left, but by the end of the arrangement she had simply settled for laying up against the brother's front as he wrapped his arms around her middle. Grinning at him, she nuzzled her head into his chin. Lori's face remained as unsettlingly focused on the two as ever even as the formalities of the television program started. That had most definitely been Lincoln that she and Leni had seen Lucy pull through the front door that last Friday, only now with the modified clothing, pale face-applications, and eyeliner he truly did look like a vampire. And his coffin-mate seemed to be loving every second of it judging by how she would sometimes wriggle in his grasp. Lori knew what uncomfortable readjustments looked like, and those weren't what Lucy was doing.

"You're watching Fright TV," the announcer of the channel said, "And now begins last week's episode of Vampires of Melonchalia..." As rare as it was, Leni was the only one to give cries of excitement over the programming. Lori attempted to pay attention to the intro, but the interest in the Louds at Leni's other side was just too great for the most part, and Lucy was hardly watching at all with how much she just seemed to enjoy burying herself in her "cushion". Lincoln gave a fraction more attention to the TV than her, but even he had to preoccupy himself with the movements that the girl on top of him was making. And his returning gestures rarely looked to be those of unpleasantness. Unable to confront their apparent disinterest without making a scene, Lori resigned herself to slouch back in frustration within her own coffin. Trying to take her mind off of the oddity at Leni's other side, she began playing scenes from the episode in her head before they'd appear onscreen to see how well her memory would line up. For about ten minutes she managed to play her game between Leni's, sometimes misplaced, boughts of laughter until eventually she noticed other noises. Voices from the two she'd been trying to ignore.

As her indignation grew she creaked her head over Leni's shoulder to peer at the boy and girl curled up at her other side. They were whispering to each other with wide smiles on their faces. Lori pressed her lips together tightly to quell the discomfort she was feeling. All day she had been trying to dismiss her thoughts on what might have been going on with the two, but they were putting up an enormous fight against her efforts. And she dared to say they were beginning to win. Hating herself for the sickness she was letting grow in her throat, Lori leaned closer to Leni to get a better listen in on what she believed she would dread eavesdropping in on. But she didn't. Instead of the presumed unsettlingness she'd anticipated she heard something much more...surprising. The scenes that were playing on the screen. The ones she'd been playing in her head. They'd been doing the same, only more verbally and with more...emotionless enjoyment towards each other given the shuffle of clothing she'd sometimes hear.

But how? How did they know the scenes? Lucy had missed out on the episode the previous week, and if Lincoln had EVER seen the show neither she nor Leni knew anything about his viewership. How then were they guessing the scenes? How were they happily reciting them to each other? Listening closer, Lori realized they weren't. At least...not exactly. Occasionally they'd mess up a sentence or two that the characters were going to say and catch the mistake, only their blame seemed to be on the television as opposed to their own error. Creaking her head back into place, Lori sat up and leaned forward to get a better look at the coffin on Leni's other side. The sight of the two in the coffin tickled her insides. Lucy was grinning wider than she'd almost ever seen her at her partner as her arms constricted around the arm he had slung over her shoulder. Swirling the taste in her mouth around, Lori lifted an eyebrow to them and cleared her throat.

"Ahem, what exactly are you guys doing?" Lori asked.

"Oh I'm watching-"

"Not you Leni," Lori sighed before snapping her eyes back to Lincoln and Lucy, "THEM. What are you whispering about? Neither of you saw the episode last week. How do you keep guessing what's going to happen?" Lori would have asked other questions, but she decided on the tamest one she could think of so as to remain inconspicuous in her investigation. Lincoln, realizing their positions, did his best to pull the arm draped over Lucy out of sight and the two blushed in the prideful smiles they shared.

"Sigh, not all of us rely on just the TV," Lucy replied, "perhaps if you guys read some of the books you too would be able to figure what the episodes might be about." Lori's eyes blinked into a spaced-off stare of disbelief.

"...read?" she asked, almost sounding offended by the reply, "...read? Are you telling me that Lincoln here...has read the series?...has read ANYTHING other than his comics?..."

"Well, not the entire thing," Lincoln confessed dully, "But a few of the books I have given some looks." Lori shuddered at the rhyming that Lucy seemed to adore. "And I have to say, the translation to the screen is a bit passe."

"There's pasta in there?" Leni asked tilting her head at the television in search of the perceived food. Lori's lower eyelid was twitching now. Somehow or another Lincoln, a member of the family that had NEVER joined them in their watches of the show before, seemed to have reached Lucy's level of investment in the dour customs and series than she or Leni had ever even come to close to achieving. He was even being CRITICAL about elements that were lost on the older sisters. And Lucy looked to be cherishing the understanding!

"Sigh, I told you it wouldn't be a direct comparison," she told her brother with a nuzzle, "But you have to admit, it does entertain a bit."

"Oh of that there is no doubt," Lincoln agreed just as emotionlessly, "That Griselda gives the visuals quite a turnabout." Lincoln let out a playful grunt as Lucy elbowed him cheekily. "Of the characters though I must ask about Edwin. I've thought about it before, but now that I'm actually watching an episode why doesn't your bust of him look like he does on the show?"

"Sigh, Lincoln, it's called artistic license," Lucy explained, "The books came first. They didn't have an actor to work off of."

"I guess that does make sense," Lincoln nodded. The questions answered, the youngest viewers gave Lori two big toothy grins before falling back into their rest. While Lucy put a hand to the chest that she lay her cheek against, Lori's gape at her and her "partner" hung accusingly in their direction. Read? Lincoln? Know scenes? WHAT? Effortlessly the bizarre nature of the pair had dispensed with each proposed curiosity until they were allowed their positions once more. It didn't take long for the arm to reemerge from around Lucy's shoulder, whether due to their assumed parting of Lori's watch or due to the simple nature of their bodies. Figuring she had blown her chance at a proper investigation, Lori sighed as she fell back in her coffin. Whatever was going on between the two was maddening to think about. While she had her suspicions, there was nothing to confirm any conclusion she might think of without the evidence to go on, and with how in sync Lincoln and Lucy were they didn't feel as though they were going to offer any help in dictating an outcome to her predicament. Whatever she might hope to ask them to lead into more personal questioning would likely be deflected with how oddly prepared Lincoln seemed to be for the show and the gothic nature surrounding it.

For minutes more Lori tried to collapse back into her previous guessing-game for the upcoming events on the TV screen, but it was to little avail. Now that she had an ear for the hushed voices on Leni's other side the tickles against her eardrum made it impossible to make the guesses on her own. And the emotionless joyfulness of their voices drove the insanity further. It was as though they were taunting her failed interrogation. Practically nothing had gone as she had planned. When she'd gone to try and catch Lucy in whatever activities she might have been distracting herself with she showed up with Lincoln. When she had pried at them about their...whispering they had revealed Lincoln's superior knowledge of she, Leni, and Lucy's show. And now she couldn't even try for more information without look like some nosy dolt in front of Leni. She just had to sit there and endure it.

Eventually, through the ignored cuddles and whispers, the show came to its end leaving the teenager in the middle of the group clapping gleefully. While Leni had no idea where the giant squid attacking South Africa that she remembered seeing during the last airing of the episode had disappeared to, it was still a tremendous performance, and Tristan had looked just as dreamy as ever. After this latest viewing she was more than ready for whatever the next night's episode would entail, and it seemed as though the two kids at her left were just as prepared if not moreso. She too had obviously heard their recitals of the scenes before they had played and Lincoln seemed surprisingly knowledgeable about the show. A book was usually a bit much for her to get through, but it felt as though it'd been a benefit for the young boy. Looking over the two, a more important aspect of the companionship came into play. They just looked so cute together. Lucy's face beamed with a rare smile as she lay against Lincoln's slowly rising and falling chest. Likewise, he had his own smirk half-buried in her hair while he held her around the waist. They seemed like they fit together like puzzle pieces in the box they'd taken up residence in. In retrospect Leni was happy that they'd decided on sharing that coffin. And watching the younger girl she could tell that whomever she was in love with she was already set when it came to how to "relax" with them.

Once the credits had scrolled by, Lincoln and Lucy realized the conclusion of the program and pushed against each other to try and slide to either side of the coffin. They blushed innocently having noticed the dimmer teenager watching them and grinned up her. Leni smiled back just as innocently.

"Well, hm, that was...that was a...good one..." Lucy murmured as she pulled herself out of her seat. Doing the same, Lincoln stretched his arms and back and rotated his shoulders to try and shake off any oddities of the uncommon viewing that Leni must have had of them.

"Yes that was...rather dreary," Lincoln nodded recounting more the story he'd read of what the episode was based on as opposed to the program that they'd mostly ignored in the warmth of their...repose.

"I liked the part where Tristan was like "Bro hug uncle Eddie!"," Leni said. Had her hair not been in the way one of the others might have seen Lucy roll her eyes. That character may have been the introduction of the show for the older sisters, but it was certainly not why she watched it. With her and Lincoln's...exchanges throughout the episode though she admittedly hadn't paid that much attention to the visuals that night. Her fingers twitched as she looked back at the coffin. Part of her wanted to climb back into it with her "pillow". Knowing that that would probably draw too much attention, she settled simply on sliding closer to the boy and grabbing his hand as the side of her body pressed against his to hide the link from view. Lori shot the two a glowering peer at the sudden bump that Lucy gave Lincoln, but, once his surprised expression faded, the two grinned sheepishly back at the oldest sibling.

"Well...we all like different things I suppose..." Lucy murmured to Leni as she squeezed Lincoln's hand. She turned her grin away slightly as she felt his fingers press back against the spaces between her's.

"Oh totes. Like Lori's more of a Latino gal some nights," Leni pointed out, "Though she always jumps for a Blake Bradley. And Lincoln likes red underpants more than white." All the attendees blushed at the examples that the girl blurted out.

"Y-yes w-well..." Lucy coughed trying her best to silence Leni, "Th-this has b-been fun and all but um...me and Lincoln-we-I...um...we've got some books to read..." Lori's narrowed eyes lifted slightly with the brow that ascended above one of them. "We do thank you for having us, and I look forward to our next session-"

"That's tomorrow," Lori reminded flatly. A light sweat speckled the forehead beneath Lucy's bangs.

"R-...right..." she murmured. Feeling a squeeze from Lincoln, confidence swelled through her a bit more steadily. "Regardless, we thank you for allowing our newcomer's involvement," Lucy told them as she put her head against Lincoln's, "I know how much these viewings mean to you guys and we hope it wasn't...too odd of an inclusion-" Lori's lips flattened at the notion "-but we...we should get going. I do hope your post-Vampires-of-Melonchalia discussions will be just as riveting without my involvement. For now though, we must bid you adieu." Feeling the dip of Lucy's hand from how she bowed, Lincoln did the same. He had barely straightened back up before he felt the tug of Lucy's hand drag him towards the steps where he proceeded to trip up them couple of times in his attempts to keep pace with her nervously swift retreat. Once the sound of doors closing upstairs had sounded, Leni turned to Lori just as happy as ever and prepared for the "discussions" that Lucy had mentioned. Lori however only had one thing to say.

"...the fuck was that?"

* * *

The sound of doors closing could be heard around the upstairs, but in a room next to Lincoln's it was lost within the noise of preparations being enacted. Sliding a block of wood along the length of the blade that Lynn had found, a sheathing sound was made in constant repetition. It may not have been a wooden stake, but it should have at least been able to incapacitate their targets for a while. It'd work even more effectively if the toilet water that Lana intended to lace it with actually worked as Holy Water as the younger girl seemed to believe it would. Of course she'd give it a few prayers just in case. They couldn't be too safe with what they were going up against. If they messed it up then it was over. All over. They'd only get one shot. If they botched that...who knows if family relationships would save them while at the mercy of such dangerous foes. Lynn lifted her head up as Lana rolled across the room and took aim with the gun she'd modified from Lisa's room. A bit sloppily, she blasted its ammunition at targets that she'd set up on the wall. Nearly none of them hit their bulls-eyes, but most had been close enough that hopefully it wouldn't have mattered. The garlic juice should have had the same general effect anywhere that it landed on the vampires. What mattered was that it hit them.

Lynn grinned to herself. The enthusiasm of the younger girl had to be admired. The only thing that ever seemed to make Lana so determined was working on the plumbing of the house. But now? She somersaulted and jumped through the room in her gymnastics to practice for their enemies. As Lana made a leap onto Lola's nearby kiddie table, Lynn tightened the ropes that fastened the long kitchen knife to her bat. Once she was sure it was securely fastened she took a few swings and made a couple of jabs in the air. It was only slightly heavier than the bat normally was and it struck with ease. Plus it made a cool "swishing" noise with the upgrade she'd given it. Although the precision of her weapon satisfied her, she could feel a gnawing at the back of her head. While she had been Lana's most trusted affiliate in their "quest", she didn't necessarily take pride in what was to come. Sure she could not stand what the two had done to her in the past week. NOBODY ruined Lynn's reputation. But this? Even if they had joined the undead, there was little happiness to be felt from such extreme measures. What choice did they have though?

Looking to Lola, the jock shook her head. While the more hands-on of the twins was jumping across, and falling off of, tike-sized chairs, the primadonna was powdering her face. Lynn honestly couldn't believe the disinterest that she carried herself with. Lola knew what they were up against. There was no denying that. But still she just stood there applying her makeup. She may have constructed some sort of "grenades" from her beauty products, but what was that even supposed to do? Make the vampires more sparkly?

"Hey Loes, you know if those things even work?" she asked insistent on getting some involvement from her, "I mean what's a bunch of glitter supposed to do?" Lynn backed up at the glare the younger girl gave her.

"First off, they're flash grenades," the beauty queen corrected as she grabbed one, "And secondly." Even though Lynn had known the contents she stumbled around as it was thrown in her direction. Lana stopped to watch the sudden appearance of the unexpected sphere that bounced towards the older girl. With a deafening tone, the room went noisily silent as the two covered their eyes. For a few seconds all they could see was white, but little by little their glitter-filled vision returned to them. Lana rubbed her eyes irritably in the recovering speckles while Lynn coughed a few out of her throat. "Yes, they work," Lola spat before taking off the sunglasses that had apparently warped onto her face during the flash and returning to her pocket mirror.

"What the hell?!" Lana cried falling off her current perch. She may have been able to see some, but her stability was still to question in her hindered state.

"Okay geez! Point taken!" Lynn hacked. The haughty young girl grinned at the sound of the damage she'd dealt. It took some seconds, but eventually her targets did brush themselves up enough to return to more sturdy positions.

"Alright..." Lana murmured as she brushed off more glitter from her sleeves, "So...guess tomorrow's it then huh?" Lynn looked to the ground but nodded. Lola shot her a glance from her mirror before looking back to it. "I just want you guys to know that if we don't make it out alive...YOU'RE THE BEST SISTERS ANYONE COULD ASK FOR!" Lana cried pulling them into a hug. Lola and Lynn choked under the pressure of the arms that squeezed their throats. As quickly as possible Lola wormed her way out of the embrace freeing Lynn in the process.

"Yeah, you too brat," Lynn wheezed as she nursed her throat, "So...after school then?" Lana nodded cocking her gun.

"Everyone needs to be rested and aware enough. First thing in the morning might not be the best," she surmised.

"Well, I do need my beauty sleep," Lola agreed.

"Alright cool. It's settled then, we end this tomorrow," Lynn announced. Sternly Lana nodded and put her fist towards the one Lynn extended. In expectancy, they looked to the room's other inhabitant. Lola did her best to ignore the gesture, but in the silence that followed she had to give in. With a scoff she snapped her pocket mirror shut and rolled her eyes as she put her fist into the center of the group also. It was useless to hide the small grin she had from the two.

"After school, Lincoln and Lucy-" Lana said.

"Are going down," Lola finished. Intent on their shared goal, the three sisters bumped their fists together. On the other side of the door, Lori pulled her ear away. She'd heard some sort of commotion after a vibrating "bang"ing noise had sounded a few moments before, but with what she'd listened in on her investment had only heightened. As she snuck away towards her room to get ready for bed she felt both at ease and worried in the knowledge that she hadn't been the only one seeking answers towards the odd pair that she'd watched The Vampires of Melonchalia with. Whatever the following day would bring, she at least had some time to prepare.

* * *

Lucy's body bumped forward from the knock at her door. Ever since her viewing of the rerun of The Vampires of Meloncholia episode she'd been huddled at her door with Edwin in her lap once she'd slipped into her night clothes. With how dark it'd been getting outside it shouldn't have been too much longer before the hours of sleep were to be upon the household. Being a creature of the night himself, and...a statue, Edwin felt little pressure from the curfews of the mortals in the dwelling which made the discussions with him go rather easy no matter the hour. To say the figure was enthralled by the "practices" his owner and her brother had been performing in front of him throughout the night would be silly, but he did support her. He couldn't say that he did, but it was obvious to anyone that knew the statue. And no one knew him better than her. Feeling another light knock, Lucy dropped the bust to the ground and slid it behind a dresser. Carefully she cracked the door open to see what might be lurking on the other side. One half of her felt it'd be the irritation that only her roommate could bring to dampen her uplifting evening. The other half bridled with excitement as to who else could be waiting for her. And that other half won out.

Before Lincoln's night-dressed body could finish waving, the door slipped open a tiny bit more and practically sucked him into the room before shutting. It took his mind a few seconds to catch up with the whirl of colors he was dragged into. An enormous grin on her lips, Lucy spun the older boy around happily in the arms that she used to constrict his body. Enjoying the rotations himself, Lincoln put his arms around her neck and contributed to the twirls. By the time they'd slowed he was chuckling a bit, but it wasn't enough that it kept him from relaxing into the more comforting hold of his sister. Playfully he nuzzled his lower face into her hair as she rubbed her cheek along his jaw. The friction came to a close as they tilted their heads back to get a better view of each other.

"I take it my performance was adequate-"

"Oh Lincoln," Lucy said cutting him off and she pressing her head against his jaw, "You were amazing!" Lincoln blushed a bit as she inched her upper body back from his and pressed herself up nearer to his eye-level by her toes. "You...ARE amazing..." Lincoln's mouth became a squiggle of a smile at how close the girl's face had gotten to his. From where he stood he could see just the smallest sliver a reflection from whatever viewing organs lay beyond the veil of Lucy's hair. His nose tickled with the strands that managed to dangle far enough out to brush past it.

"Well-I um...it was just...ya know..." he grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. It was rather hard to suppress the thankfulness of the younger girl's praise in the proximity that his face was to her's, but it was not an unwelcome feeling. "Er, I mean...twas nothing oh dread black rose of my nightmares..." he corrected as he attempted to drop his, admittedly cracking, voice down into a more gravely uncaring tone.

"SIGH..." Lucy said almost letting her voice slip into a physical sound. In relief and happiness she draped herself across the taller figure in what she presumed to be a dramatic gesture of intimacy, but rather looked more like a ragdoll had deflated against Lincoln's body. Whatever the appearance, the collapse had more than an appropriate effect on him. Blushing hotly, he looked down to the girl that loosely clung to him and wrapped his arms around her to keep her from falling even further down in the slow descent that she was unknowingly dripping into. Taking the support as an embrace, her grasp on him became firmer and she leaped up high enough that her cheek mashed up against his in her returning hug.

"I love you..." she whispered.

"In a fake girlfriend way?" Lincoln smiled.

"...in a fake girlfriend way," he felt her nod. A shiver ran along Lucy's spine as she felt his hand run up and down along her back. "Sigh..." she said pulling her face back away from him as she dropped to the ground, "Oh dear brother...you are...PERFECT. Tomorrow...sigh, NOTHING can go wrong tomorrow...I-...sigh, you have no idea how much I owe you for this!" Lincoln's eyes were almost ejected from his skull with how tightly Lucy hugged him, "Everything you've done, everything we've worked towards. Sigh! The dancing, the outfits, the speech, the-"

"Lucy," Lincoln said cutting her off. Her shoulders lifted as he cupped her chin with the fingers and thumb of one of his hands, "It's fine. You don't owe me anything." Blushing, she tried to look towards the ground but the suspension of his body part kept her head from moving too much. "We help each other out. That's "payment" enough," he chuckled. Lucy's head dropped once the hand had left her chin. She'd forgotten she'd been trying to lower it as he talked, but it was effective for helping to hide the pink of her face. "Well, got a big day ahead of us tomorrow," Lincoln huffed putting his hands on his hips, "Today's been great, but we should probably get some shut eye. Don't wanna go into the big event with no energy or nothing." Quickly Lucy nodded. In the back of her head though, something ached. She knew what it was. Lonesomeness. She'd felt it prominently enough throughout her life that it was practically a friend, but one that she'd, thankfully, been seeing less of in the last two weeks. With Lincoln's words however, she felt it flowing back. And after spending an entire day in the festivities of her...partner, she found it harder to welcome the emptiness than normal. As Lincoln's hand grabbed the doorknob of her room, he stopped.

"W-wait," Lucy called. Curious as to what could be left, Lincoln turned his head. Unsure of just what to say herself, Lucy turned her face. She hadn't intended to stop him. She had actively fought against her impulse to call for him once she realized what she was doing, but she had his attention now. Her body quivered with resistance, but there was little use for it with the eyes on her. As her instincts overrode her sense, Lucy took a deep breath and looked to her other side where her coffin lay. Nervously she looked back to Lincoln.

"Y-you know...you could still um...c-cozy up in...h-here..." she mumbled. Anxiously the arms she'd put behind her back fidgeted. For a moment she just stood there under the unbearable weight of Lincoln's stare. She must have sounded like an idiot. To propose such an idea out of nowhere painted her with embarrassment. "I-I...I mean...ya know I've slept in your bed before and...you don't normally sleep over here or anything..." she murmured attempting to justify her sudden suggestion, "I just thought...maybe it m-might h-help to maintain the...act's consistency going into tomorrow..." Lincoln's bewildered eyelids lowered back into a more studious manner as the pupils under them swam around as if searching for answers. Her limbs paralyzing with stupefying regret, Lucy clenched her hands together behind her back so hard that it felt like their fingers would sink through the opposing knuckles. Why had she suggested such a stupid idea? Did she want Lincoln to be uncomfortable? Did she want to ruin the exciting day they'd just had? Was there any way to pass the entire thing off as just some bad joke or-

"Actually...that...might not be a terrible idea..." Lincoln nodded slowly. Lucy's fingers eased their bone-shattering.

"...what?"

"I mean it does make some sense to keep the...affection maintained, and we really should have every preparation that we can..." Lincoln thought aloud as he stroked his chin. Lucy just stood frozen in her spot. She couldn't believe that he was actually taking the idea into consideration. But why shouldn't he? Like he said, it did make sense. It was just a continued part of their "act" to help them stay in character. And Lucy was more than willing to make the sacrifice of her sleeping-quarters to ensure their victory in the day ahead. "One thing though...what about Lynn?" Lincoln asked eyeing the other side of the room, "She's probably gonna find it a bit odd to find me and you um..."Lucy turned to it as well and shrugged.

"What about her?" Lucy asked, "Coffins have lids." Lincoln's brow lifted at the obvious answer. How hadn't he remembered that? "Besides, if it begins to open I'm pretty good at sensing light if it's bright enough. I'm sure I'll react quick enough to get...on top in that situation and...um...hide your body..." Lucy continued with a teasing grin.

"W-well it's...good t-to know you got th-this all w-worked out..." Lincoln half-coughed through his reddening face. Lucy grin widened despite her own oncoming blush. He looked so cute when he was embarrassed. Her teeth showed less as he continued to rub his arm and he tried to avoid looking at the girl, but the playfulness remained in spite of the nervousness. "Well...guess I um...better stuff my b-book bag under my sheets then..." Lincoln said excusing himself from the heat of the scene. He found it more difficult than previously to turn the knob of the door but he managed through the fidgets. "Y-ya know...in case someone wanders in and finds I'm not there when everyone's supposed to be in bed," he added before pulling his head out, "Um...be right back..."

"I'll be waiting," Lucy replied wiggling her fingers in his direction. With a surprisingly pleasant shiver, Lincoln smiled and exited. Knowing that her time was short, Lucy flipped the lid of the coffin all the way open and set forth making sure that everything was in place. Figuring that Lincoln would appreciate a more cushioned surface than the rigidness that Lucy was accustomed to when she chose to sleep in the box, she pulled a few sheets and blankets out of the closet and stuffed a pillow into it once she'd laid them down inside of it. She wasn't sure of just where Lynn had run off to, but she didn't care. She figured that the older girl would simply ignore the coffin that was obviously in use when she finally came back to the room, especially with how late the hour she'd have to be back would be at this point. The jock would likely just wander straight into bed and start snoring which would thankfully be deafened by the lid of the box she and Lincoln would be resting beneath. Lucy felt moths fluttering about her stomach at the thought. With a little twirl, she put her hands up next to her face and clamped them together. She didn't know why she was feeling so...ecstatic about the idea. Perhaps it was the thought of practicing for when she would share her coffin with some future undead consort, or maybe it was the assurance of the boy that they'd win over tomorrow. Whatever the case however, it had her insides flip-flopping.

On the floor below however, Lucy heard something that jaded the mood. In a rare sense of annoyance towards it, she looked to the bust of her beloved vampire that had somehow appeared next to the coffin and placed her hands on her hips.

"Sigh, Edwin, it's just one night," she grumbled, "you can have your spot back tomorrow."

"Who can?" Lincoln asked. Lucy spun around as the door shut behind him. Sprouting an innocent grin, she shoved the bust to the side of the room with her foot.

"Who can what?" she asked. Having seen what she'd just pushed out of the way, Lincoln shrugged. He'd rather not get into the middle of an argument between the goth and her token of affection. Rolling his eyes, he made his way over to the coffin that she stood in front of and looked down into it.

"Hm...looks cozier than earlier," he remarked. In her mind Lucy felt a parade march through her from the approval. Having been worn a bit ragged from all that they'd gone through that day, Lincoln was quite susceptible to the idea of getting some shut-eye and was made only keener towards the idea of rest as he thought about all that they'd have to partake in in the day ahead. After letting out a yawn, he stretched and took a step into the cushioned coffin. "Lemme see if I got this part right," he chuckled as he turned around to face Lucy. She felt the crawl in her innards again as she realized what he was doing. Playfully, he crossed his arms over his chest and fell backwards lifelessly. Even with the pillow to catch his fall, the "thump" of his head was something that he'd need to get used to if he ever played dead as dramatically as Lucy on a regular basis. The girl in question however landed right next to him in the same manner only a few seconds later without so much as a sound being made from her unseen entrance into the box. The resting-space was a bit of a claustrophobic fit, but it offered more area to move around in than the coffins that they'd used to view Vampires of Melonchalia. And the snugness wasn't exactly unwelcome with how their bodies laid against each other. In fact it felt...a bit comforting to have each other's figures to press against.

Not realizing the grin on her face, Lucy lifted back into a sitting position and reached for the lid to their "bed". With a swift "thwunk!" the piece of wood closed over the case.

-end of chapter-

Things have certainly come a long way. It may have been just a week and a half in the world of this story, but it has been months for me and it's always nice seeing the characters evolve. It's also a bit relieving that we're nearing the end, for my sake that is. I would LOVE to constantly make stories and everything and just keep going on adventure after adventure, but I do have quite a number of other projects and fan art and stuff that this has been keeping me from. I mean it's still probably gonna take a couple of months to get the final two chapters written, but we're getting to the endgame here.

Just one more day. That's all that remains. Will Lincoln and Lucy get the guy they've been after? Will they even make it to The Ball? What all will go down between the Loud siblings in the next chapter? Can Lincoln and Lucy's agenda remain hidden? The story's climax is just around the corner. Everything has all been leading up to the final weekday of this second week and it will be a night that Lincoln and Lucy will never forget. So stay tuned for the exciting conclusion of Forbidden Allure.


	16. Beneath the Pale Moonlight

Chapter 15: Beneath the Pale Moonlight

On most dawns, Royal Woods would be blanketed in a series of groans and unkempt murmurs by many of its residents, least of which would have been those of the town's Goth community. The sun pierced their skin and stabbed at their unadjusted visions, but not a single one of them could spite the celestial star on that morning. Few people may have wanted to rise from their slumber, but on a Friday children tended to be more eager than usual to get their scheduled education over with and move onto the luxuriating weekend beyond or whatever afterschool activities they might have had planned. And for the shadowy portion of the town's youth, their activity held more precedence than most with what they had been readying themselves for on that week's end. Having been unable to sleep, Persephone paced about her room and occasionally swung her body into more fluid motions. She hoped beyond hope that she had gotten the steps for the basic dances down. Morpheus meanwhile had been checking to make sure his glasses had been polished to the most effective dim translucency that he could muster. With the caw that his crow gave upon its examination of the item he knew he had little to fear. And deep in the woods, one of the leaders of the Royal Woods Elementary School Mortician's Club watched as the older Goths of the town continued their preparations for the event that the awakening gothic residents were preparing for, the staff's figures shrinking as her parent's station wagon drove her away from her nightly participation in the its construction.

Perhaps it was Edwin reminding the occupants of the coffin he rested near or some internal alarm manufactured by the preset excitement, but before the beams of the sun had even attempted to bleed their way through the drapes of the windows of the house belonging to arguably the largest family in Royal Woods, the lid of the coffin that their own goth frequently claimed as her bed creaked. With a surprising amount of resistance, the Mortician's Club's other figurehead fought to lift herself up alongside the lid that her body was moving. She knew that her body craved the serenity of finality that her resting place brought, and an unusual amount of beckoning warmth from it on that morning, but she also knew that she had get ready. Tugging and pulling as hard as her sleep-ridden limbs would allow her to, Lucy's back eventually rocked the lid of the coffin hard enough so that what little light there was from the setting dusk drizzled through the crack she'd made, and what she saw painted her face crimson.

All at once it came back to her. The day off, the practicing, the...flirting...the boy that...lay beneath her... Her body may have known that she had had to get up, but in her groggy state she'd been oblivious towards the details as to why. Looking at him...her face glowed more and more with each memory that filed back into her head. It was too much. Unable to leave under the vividness of her mentality, Lucy collapsed back onto the softly snoring boy and burrowed her face into his body. She wasn't sure if it had been his stomach or his chest, but she knew that she liked it. The warmness. The smell. The...life. Her half-conscious mouth slacked as she ran her face across the area leaving a drizzle of saliva in its path. While she eventually realized and corrected the state of her mouth, she hardly noticed the wetness it'd left when she came to a rest under his chin. She had never in her life felt the sensations she was enduring...well...at least not until that last night. She couldn't remember the details. Her mind operated more in shapes and colors with how vague it recollected her fading consciousness once they had settled into...comfortable positions within the coffin. What she could...feel of the splinters of her mind however was that those feelings that her shell brimmed with were the same as those that she'd had when the dreams began to take hold the night before. And it was that comfort that she was elating in under the boy's jaw. If she could have she'd have stopped time to enjoy the body for a few more hours.

"Siiigggghhh..." she said quietly and slowly as her body crept across his. First her left shoulder lifted and climbed higher up on the arm it had rested on followed soon after by the other one. There was no stopping the flame of her face, but in the depths of her cryptic dwelling there was no reason to hide the unseen color. Part of her wished to know what movements the boy might make in response, but the slow rise and fall of his slumbering chest brought its own comfort and did away with the hesitancy that one might have had towards the gestures. Lucy herself might have had some reservations to the nature, and a week before she most likely would have distanced any inkling of such a notion, but under the veil of blindness and the drive of a more primal sleep-driven mentality her body moved more on its own than within a reasoned control. To have such a...companion to awaken to...to rest one's self against. She knew not what it could have felt like until their nap. She'd slept with him before...but never in the confinings of the box they now lay in, and not under the alliance they'd developed.

Desiring more, Lucy's fingers wrapped loosely around the boy's forearms and pulled her head up towards his. Opening her mouth, she ran her lower jaw along his throat. As her upper teeth brushed his own jawline, she heard some sort of mix between a snore and a murmur from the mouth her head trailed against. His slumbering talk only served to deepen the incomprehensibly stained face of the girl who's nose had ran up behind his ear. For moments Lucy lay there pressed against his pulsing form, counting each push of blood, living each beat. The organ pumping in his chest filled her's with an unfailing energy. Delicately she put both sets of her teeth against the neck they'd come to rest against. She wanted it. The blood. His life. His essence. She dreamed of it filling her mouth, of it flooding down her throat. Filling her. Becoming her. Oh how she longed for it. And if she hadn't been still waking from her sleeping state she might have made the bite. It would have been so easy...and so...tantalizing... As her fangs and canines began to press lightly against the outer layer of his skin however she stopped. It would have been so satisfying...but she couldn't. Not with what awaited them that night. It would only worsen what impressions they might have had to make if she gave him such a mark.

Denying herself the taste of the one she delighted in, Lucy's head sunk back down towards his lower neck, though she stopped as she hit his collar. Her face itself had no impediment, but another part of her body had. It hadn't been a blockage of her movement so much as a slow of it though until she'd chosen to stop and rest against the rise that her pelvis had run up against. Her face somehow even hotter than it had been, Lucy hung on Lincoln's shoulders in silence. For what felt like forever her body stay near motionless with the only movement being the sinking of her hips against pressure from her brother's. Tempting fate, the soft rustle of clothing started back up once her body had decided to relive the motion. Pulling themselves up, the hips readjusted themselves and slid back against his body again. The only response Lucy had heard was something of a soft groan from the boy's mouth above. Getting nothing more than that with each pass, her midsection ran up along his a few times more. It didn't take long for Lucy's eyes to roll up towards the top of her head. Truly the sensations within her coffin had been alien to her before that night. But she was enraptured beyond measure by their discovery. For those moments nothing mattered. Not their sisters, not their household, not the world. Just them. Them and their undefinable experience.

Through the rubs and the rests however, one thing did make itself matter. Whether for her distraction or to get her back on track, Lucy's fading mind settled back onto the figure of a boy. It may have been the glimpse of her brother that had flashed it through her brain or a stray thought, but somehow the image of that boy that he looked so much like had fluttered by and slowed the rough tugs down his body that she'd been making with her own. Coming to a stop, she laid her heavily-breathing head against his own frequently beating chest. She was surprised by how much the movements had drained her. With how eager her form was to replenish its ebbed energy she could only assume that she was fortunate to have stopped when she had. Even if ironic, the slowing pulse of her brother's body made it easier to focus on the reason he was in the coffin to begin with. There'd be no point to any of it if she hadn't the energy reserved for that evening. Slowly she turned her head up towards Lincoln's and crawled her's up to it.

"Sigh...rest easy my dark angel. Our time is nigh and your performance awaited," Lucy whispered to his inactive figure. Softly her lips brushed along the underside of his chin. "I would love nothing more than to lay here with you. Truly I would. Just two corpses residing within their eternal rest...but there is work to be done...dear brother. And for that, I must act. Forgive my absence, but there will be time for pleasantries later. I pray that you will know not to make too much commotion until I return," she told the male body as she pushed through the resistance of her limbs and moved the lid of the coffin ever so slowly from its base, "With my awakened state, I must take advantage of the opportunity given to me." Centimeter by centimeter the lid of the box raised and slid so as to refrain from whatever noise a quicker exit might have entailed. In the presence of the room's other owner no precaution was too much. To her credit, Lucy was rather adept in her sneaking nature, but still the tenseness of worry lingered. The near-nonexistent illumination that peered in through the wider opening she'd made however helped to ease the anxiousness. Looking down at her brother, Lucy smiled. She had to put forth all of her effort to not slide back down into his body's welcoming posture. Settling simply for the blush its view gave her, Lucy pushed the lid as far as it would go without alerting their older sister and looked around. As the sound of snoring had predicted, Lynn lay in a bundled mess beneath the rising and falling sheets of her bed.

"Alleviated sigh..." Lucy said to herself as she stretched. She had hardly had doubts in her abilities of stealth, but that made it no easier to sneak around when such a prize lay within her sleeping chamber. Biting her lower lip, she let her eyes slip down to Lincoln once more and felt warmness creep along her cheeks from the adorable snoring mumble he gave. Greedily, her legs clung to his and did their best to glue her seat to him, but her mind had awakened enough to stay focused on her task. With everyone else in the household likely still abiding by their dreams it left the quiet girl with free reign of the building's quarters, and few found more envy than the one towards the end of the upstairs hallway. Prying her lap from his, Lucy pulled herself free of Lincoln and reluctantly slipped out into the room that their "bed" occupied. Just as quietly as she had opened it, Lucy began to slide the lid to the coffin shut. Before Lincoln's image could disappear however her arms stopped moving. She didn't want to leave. Her mind knew that her body hated it, but it had to be done if she wanted the morning routines to go seamlessly. Clenching her teeth, the girl moved the lid to a shut position.

With the hardest part of the operation done, she checked the bed on the other side of the room. Lynn still snored beneath her covers. After whipping her head around a few times to see if there were any other obstacles, Lucy put her hands on the side of the coffin that faced her sister's part of the room. Her closed teeth gritted with the weight she pushed. She was not used to moving the coffin while someone rested within it, but she knew that its hiding would provide better masking for their agenda. It took much more effort than the lid had taken, but eventually Lucy had moved the wooden box to the underside of her bed without making too much noise. Her sneaking normally didn't involve such focus and force. That was probably why, when she slipped out into the hallway afterwards, she put a hand on the wall to prop herself up as she took in a few forcibly silenced gulps of air. With the worn form of her muscles and the irritation that simmered from her waning rest Lucy made her way down the hall. From the snores that she heard from the rooms she passed she knew that some carelessness could be afforded, but even still she did her best to keep in step with her quieted habits. It'd only serve to preserve her ghostly wander. Besides, before too long the alarms of the other children would begin blaring off their warnings. She'd rather not add to their awakening if it could be avoided, especially when the room she was headed towards was so void of occupants.

Although she had been certain of the whereabouts of each of her siblings, Lucy still poked her head into the bathroom before the rest of her body to take a look around. After a few scans from her darting face, the oldest of the single-digit siblings slipped into the empty chamber and set about preparing herself for the day. While the privacy was nice, another benefit to the lonesomeness of her occupancy were the options at her disposal. With the entire collection gathered for the usual necessary group effort they gave in their hygienic care the room tended to be filled with smells of all variants in its vibrant and noisy use. But Lucy only had herself to worry about and that meant peace. Tranquility. All of the hustle and bustle of fighting for the use of the various stations within the bathroom were nonexistent as she took her time at them. Had they been awake the others likely would not have even known that she was in there with how softly she traveled, and with the shadows that she normally blanketed herself in she made her trips effortlessly through the unlit bathroom. It wasn't laziness or carelessness that kept her from flicking the lights on. It was simply how she was. The darkness may have brought others worry and unease, but for her it only provided security and peace.

Once Lucy had made it to the sink however she did have to strain her eyes. Normally she would be able to make out shapes in the dimness of the darkened rooms of the house, but there was something...off about the silhouette that stared back at her through the blackened mirror above the faucet. She leaned her face towards it as close as she could until even her nose pressed up against it, but that only served to make everything else disappear behind the reflection of her pale skin that took up her viewing space. With a huff, Lucy shook her head and walked back over to the light switch, her irritation of the unneeded extra act evident in her heavier mice-like footfalls. Even though she'd been ready for it, Lucy still sucked in a light hiss of air as the lights she turned on burned through her closed eyelids. With how adept she was in the dark, her predetermined trip back to the sink was a nonissue even in her blind state. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the blinding illumination that'd encompassed the room, she began to make out just what had caused her investigation of the shape in the mirror. Staring back at her was a girl who's skin was as pale as the paper she wrote her poems on and who's hair as black as the tar Lincoln compared it to, but the formation of the strands were nothing like they should have been.

"...why's my hair so messy?" she questioned as she blinked her eyes individually. She may have made quite a number of movements since waking up, but the fantasies of restfulness did their best to call her back to her sleeping quarters. "...sigh..." she mumbled. Fighting off the cling of sleep, Lucy rummaged around in one of the drawers of the counter and pulled out one of Leni's wide brushes. On most days Lucy would be content with a simple comb-through, if even that, but with the ruffling that'd been bestowed upon her hair she'd rather not waltz into school looking like she was mimicking Lincoln's hairstyle from when she'd had him temporarily join The Mortician's Club. Not that there was anything wrong with that...on him. He did look pretty ravishing with that getup, but she had her own style. And he was a guy. That was taller. And cute like that. Lucy allowed herself a happy blush as she stroked the brush through her hair. She'd almost hoped he would have kept with the look after their scheme for the Club leadership had concluded. Anyone would have guess that'd he'd slip right out of it once he'd gotten back home, but it was...nice having an older confidant accompanying her in the trappings of her culture. It'd been so extreme an outfit that it'd almost felt genuine.

There was something to be said for the simpleness of his other punk-goth getup when he'd been trying out different looks to break up his predictability for that week or so at school. He may have used Luna's eye shadow, but those black clothes he'd worn trimmed his figure so nicely, and the black dye of his hair topped off its consistency. Noise may not have emitted from her mouth, but she could feel vibrations in her throat as she thought. He really did look...cute in his outfits when she thought about it. Perhaps they'd even find him someone at the Ball. Lucy felt the wings of a bat flutter through her chest at the idea. It would be like a night-terror come true if that happened. They'd be seeing so much more of each other afterwards. Him getting advice on how to please a goth girl. Her testing out looks on him to see what'd look good on her boyfriend. They might even be able to go on double-dates together! Just them and their dates. Lucy's smile rose towards her nose in delight. Just the two of them.

"Hey, is this bathroom occupied or am I "flushing" someone out?" a voice cackled. Her fantasies shattered by the ear-grating noise, Lucy stroked the bristles of the brush through her hair one last time and put it on the side of the counter. She hadn't even turned around before Luan had popped up at her side. "Aw don't go "down the drain" on me," she giggled rubbing her cheek up against the smaller girl's, an action that only distanced the younger one's face from her's, "I only wanted to "brush up" on my "toilet humor"!" Shaking her head, Lucy backed away from the counter as the comedian made a grab at her toothbrush. In the back of her head she'd thought she'd heard some alarms beginning to go off, but she hadn't expected the maniac to materialize behind her. Thankfully Lucy had pretty much finished with her "touching up" by that point. Even as she passed into the hallway she noticed more and more sisters crawling from their sleeping quarters to claim their spot in the bathroom. While a few of them gave her some unpleasant looks due to what she could only assume was jealousy for the day off she'd been granted previously, she paced with confidence. There was little that could distill her zeal for the night ahead. Whatever consequences she had to bear it would all be worth it.

Lynn didn't even seem to notice her as she passed. The jock just slouched in unaware annoyance from whatever lousy awakening she had had. Lucy hardly minded the disinterest with how her relationship with her roommate had been throughout the last week. It was probably for the best that she didn't realize who she'd been walking by based on her annoyed attitude the night before. That defeat really must have gotten to her on Saturday. With the older girl departed from the room however, that left the location solely in her ownership. Thankful to have gotten her morning hygiene out of the way before the others, Lucy slipped into her room and closed the door. Almost immediately she heard a soft "thumping" noise. She tilted her head a couple of times until she heard it again. And then it sounded again after another set of seconds had passed. Realizing what must have given Lynn her rude wakeup call, Lucy dove for her bed's base. A couple of more "thumps" sounded as she pulled and tugged at either end of the coffin to remove it from beneath her sleeping quarters.

Giving the side of the coffin a rap with her knuckles, the noises stopped, and the person within assisted in bouncing the box out into the open once they had realized where they must have trapped. After about half a minute, the object had fully shunted into the dim light that the rising sun provided and Lucy pushed back the lid with a huff. She almost humored the idea of stepping back into the bathroom for a shower with the bead of sweat she felt trickle down her cheek. Looking back up at her was a somewhat dumbfounded Lincoln who slouched into an upward position from where he'd been laying. By the looks of it the attempts to free himself had woken him up more than herself.

"Ya know, I was kind of thinking that I'd wake up with my bed buddy here," he murmured as he scratched his head.

"Sigh, sorry Lincoln. I had to get to the bathroom before everyone else woke up since I was got up first," Lucy apologized, "figured it'd be odd if I waited and we both exited to go to it together. Seemed less suspicious for me to go first and you to go after I got back." Lincoln wrapped his arms around the legs he'd pulled up to his chest and blinked a few times. The light had been a sudden reveal, but moreso his viewing organs wanted a return to their rest that'd been interrupted when his body had noticed how much room it'd had in the coffin. There'd been a lack of...warmth to his lonesomeness. "At least Lynn didn't try to get me up or-"

"Shit! Lynn-"

"Is in the bathroom now," Lucy told him. Looking to the older girl's bed, he wiped the sweat from his brow. He'd completely forgotten about the primary obstacle of the room in his dreaming. But if that obstacle was already out of the way...that meant he probably had a time limit before she returned, and one that he shouldn't be wasting.

"Alright, let's do this!" Lincoln exclaimed trying to get his blood flowing. Grinning, he wobbled to his feet and clumsily stepped onto the floor. Lucy's small smile returned as he wrapped an arm around her waist and spun her around by the hand he grabbed. "You and me...tonight," he said to her as he lowered his voice to monotone. Grinning herself, Lucy grabbed her cheek with her free hand. Kissing her forehead, Lincoln brought the twirl to a stop. He couldn't help but give a little presentation to his debut for her, but he didn't exactly have time to waste. For all he knew Lynn could be marching back to the door as they danced. She likely wasn't with how long she tended to take in the bathroom, but he wouldn't have been respecting Lucy's early preparations if he didn't fall in line with the opportunity she'd given him. He hardly noticed the intensified blush of her wide-smiled cheeks as he peeked into the hallway. Seeing only Leni making her way to the open bathroom further down, he hopped out into the open and followed the dim blond as casually as he could into the bathroom. It was apparently one of the days where everyone was invited to make congregated use of it.

Lincoln found more resistance than usual from the crowd of sisters he tried to push past to get his spot at the sink. The shoves may have irked at his tolerance a bit, but Lily's bathing in the base of the sink that the water trickled into from the faucet put a smile on his face. There was little to be annoyed at when looking at her giggling face. The baby's motions kept his attention from the occasional peers of two of his younger sisters that stood towards his right. Even Luan glanced down at him every now and then from where she flossed between her braces. Lincoln however just watched Lily as he got his toothbrush and began brushing his teeth. For some reason she seemed rather interested in him. Once she realized she wasn't getting her message across to him, the infant grabbed her hair and began pulling it and giggling more. Lincoln raised an eyebrow at her and blinked a couple of times before becoming curious of her focus. Looking up to the mirror his brows did a little hop. Apparently having had their fill of sink usage, the twins departed while Lincoln attempted adjust the white on his head.

"Why's my hair all messy?" he grumbled.

* * *

"Ugh, did you see that look on his face?" Lana spat as she stuffed her homework into her backpack. Before she zipped the main pocket on the bag up, she tossed Hopps inside remembering a promise from the day before to let him help sabotage the dissection equipment at school. "He just shoved his way right past us as if we weren't trying to block him," she scoffed as she sealed her inventory.

"Deary, he just looked like he got out of bed," Lola murmured filing away her items a bit more neatly, "Which he had. A bit more ruffled than normal, but coming from bed none-the-less."

"And doesn't it infuriate you?" Lana grumbled. Lola eyed her look-a-like as she tried to analyze the confusing annoyance. "Has the gall to get out of bed before coming to the bathroom," her pathetic ire continued, "Why I have half a mind to strike right now and-"

"Lana, relax," Lola said. Lana looked to the side, her eyes narrowing as Lola came over and put a hand to her cheek. Lola hardly ever saw her sister wrapped in such misplaced anger. It would benefit them though should it be preserved. "Don't worry about Lincoln right now," she told her. Lola could see her eyes tense at the name. "We have school to think about right now," she reminded, "We all agreed that we'd strike when we got back, remember?" Limply Lana nodded her head. "Besides, after school, it's the weekend. We will have NOTHING to worry about when we get back. Just the open field of freedom to do with as we please. No distractions, no next day to get ready for, just free delightful relaxation. And with that freedom I'm sure we'll be at our absolute best condition tackle them, pin them down, and slit their throats!" Lana's slowly rising smile bent in the opposite direction and she pulled her head back at the sudden shift in wording. Catching the resistance, Lola's own mouth shrunk. "...too much?" Lana nodded her head hesitantly. "Sorry. I just like to make sure I'm in-character," Lola explained, "When you're on the stage you give it your all or you give it up." Lana almost fell to the ground once Lola let go of her with how much she'd pulled back. Once she'd regained her balance, Lana recaptured her focus on her twin just in time to see her grab one of her "grenades". "And I DON'T give up..." Lola said stuffing it into her backpack.

Her previous irritation forgotten beneath the severity of her sister's philosophies, Lana resumed the checking over of her stuff to make sure she had everything that she needed. Lola was right. School was the priority for the time being. Who knew? Maybe it'd calm her to a more level-headed state as she woke more and participated in its activities. Lola herself was more than ready to go by the time her roommate had gotten near to her point of completion. As the final pouch began to zip though, their door flung open allowing a taller girl to stroll into the room and slam it shut.

"Geez, loud much?" Lola complained as she rubbed the inside of her ear with her finger.

"Well, we are the Loud House," Lana reminded before turning to the side and winking as if someone was watching them.

"Eh, get over it," Lynn dismissed as she walked over to the table that Lana had used to develop her photos earlier in the week. "Did you two see that guy? Just decides that it's a-okay to walk into the bathroom after getting out of bed," she grumbled.

"I know right?" Lana agreed. Lola just rolled her eyes at the absurd complaints. Lynn twirled her makeshift spear a few times near the counter before making a few jabs. The knife stayed tied up to the end of her sports equipment perfect. Not a wobble showed in the swishes that she attacked the air with. She should have been delighted, but instead her face hung with anxiousness. It was that same hesitancy that she'd felt when they'd put their equipment together the night before. It didn't put up as much of a fight but it was there. Some small part of her in the back of her mind that pushed reservations against their intended goals. She didn't WANT to hurt Lincoln or Lucy...but they weren't giving her much of a choice...were they? They were the ones that chose the vampire mafia life, and if it intruded on others', most importantly her's, they needed to be taken care of. Her swinging slowed with her moral dilemma. But what if...for however slim the chance might have been...they weren't vampires?

Lynn shook her head. That question had presented itself more often than she'd expected ever since she'd begun her alliance with Lana. She hadn't said it, but that had been part of the reasoning behind her relaxation once they'd beaten her in the super hero world that Royal Woods Elementary had been turned into. She may not have admitted it to herself, but...that had likely been a bit of a motive to her easing off on the pair until the fear of what they could do reignited once they'd reported the travesty that their other selves had brought to that other universe. She'd begun to pass off the defeat during the conflict at their school as them being Ace Savvy and The Eight of Spades. She'd fought two literal superheroes. Sure she'd had her own persona and had enlisted, at least from what she could remember, Lana's help in the fight. But once her ally had been dispatched she knew they'd teamed up against her. Had she really had a chance against those odds?

But to throw an entire other Earth into hell with a mistake? Had it even been a mistake? Those two had been suspicious in their own world, so there was no telling what they might have been plotting in that other one before they'd destroyed it. That type of danger...they couldn't just sit by with that lying under the noses right? And then there was the matter of her loss during the basketball match against the goth. That had made no sense what-so-ever and had left an unbridled embarrassment on her otherwise flawless reputation! There was no way that Lucy should have stood ANY chance against her. Not unless she'd cheated...and the more the idea of she and her brother's vampiric alterations had been contemplated, the more her victory had begun to make more sense. Potentially endangering the entire world with zombies was one thing, but to make her a laughing stock by cheating at their basketball match with vampire abilities was unforgivable. And for what? Lincoln? Lynn sliced the air viciously as she thought about the link between the two. THAT had been what'd sparked her entire humiliation. Lucy may have wanted her vampire servant, but she would regret having made a fool of her in front of the neighborhood for it. They both would. No matter what her worries might have been for the two, they were not going to continue whatever unholy agenda they had planned. She and the twins would see to that.

"Kids!" their mother's voice called, "We gotta get going! Grab your stuff and get to the van!" Broken from her impromptu training, Lynn twirled the "spear" one last time before setting its end on the ground. As she looked to the door she caught sight of the more princessecy twin who'd been sitting at her tea-table and watching her performance from where she'd propped her head up by her arm.

"Having fun?" Lola commented eyeing the weapon the older girl had been twirling around.

"At least I'm making sure I got the movements down," Lynn murmured, "What about you? You just gonna tiptoe around in your little dress while they fight back?" The teenager's teasing smirk flipped into a startled frown as Lola pulled out one of her "grenades" and bounced it up and down in her hand.

"Alright alright, both of you calm down," Lana consoled as she approached the door, "Like you said Loes, we got school to deal with first and we're all on the same team. Now you guys both think you're ready for this afternoon or not?" Lola and Lynn looked at each other as if to inspect one another. With who they were they couldn't resist some taunting, but there was no time for it. They had a plan to stick to and it couldn't afford whatever slipups their personalities might bring towards each other. In silent agreement, they looked back to Lana and nodded as Lola got to her feet. "Alright good," Lana nodded back, "Lynn, head to your room and get your stuff. Me and Lola will get down the van. After school...we finish this." The alliance looked between each other in confidence and shared another nod. Determination pumping through them, Lana turned the doorknob.

"Here we go."

* * *

The ride in Vanzilla was a bit...odd to say the least. With the absence of Lincoln and Lucy for the previous two days there was a slight readjustment to be had with their return. Those who were expecting more lounging positions were disappointed when they realized the cramped state that the vehicle folded back into as sisters were forced to sit up next to each other. They usually didn't realize just how spacious the seating could be when members were missing until they were back together, but with the white and black haired brother and sister pack being gone for two days in a row some had gotten a bit used to the legroom. Luan hardly seemed to mind however. The placement of the more crowded row she'd shoved herself into just allowed for more frequent jesting. Whispering ideas between each other, Lola, Lana, and Lynn occupied the row the second furthest from the back. Though some of them would occasionally peek over their shoulders towards the back, no one that glanced at them had been surprised that Lucy and Lincoln had taken up the back-most seats of the vehicle. Only those without care for the strangeness of their preferred seating or with too little of an IQ to understand the prolonged oddities of the week didn't notice, but at least half of the vehicle held their concerns for the younger two of the three middle children.

When they'd arrived at the stop for the youngest members of the family Lisa, Lucy, and Lincoln hardly noticed the conjoined pace of the twins who kept their step ahead of their's. They were so in-tune with each other's walk that it almost looked as though somebody had duplicated one girl and put her into two different sets of clothes. The whole while they kept their eyes faced front, but when they got to the doorway of the school they chanced a look back. Though they were thankful for the inattention from their older classmates, they couldn't believe how unaware Lincoln and Lucy were. They looked like they hadn't even noticed that they'd looked back in their direction with how closely they huddled together. They seemed more preoccupied with looking off into either direction so as to hide their smiles from each other. Figuring they were free of any acknowledgement from their targets, the twins looked towards the van as it began to drive off. Before it rolled out of sight they caught eye of the eldest middle child that'd stayed behind to await the departure for her own school. Slowly she lifted a worried hand to wave at them which they gave back with just as much nervousness.

"You two are aware that you need to keep moving if you're gonna make it to your classroom right?" Lisa commented as she passed them. She hadn't even turned her face up to look at their scowls from some schematics she was working on on the hologram of a device that she was carrying. The young genius just continued her ever-steady walk towards the innards of the school with unshowing exuberance towards the playdate she had with Darcy. Lola and Lana did take the words to heart however. Lincoln and Lucy may not have been that keen on taking note of their surroundings, but it would get harder to ignore the two blonds as they got closer. By the time the taller boy and girl had entered the building, Lola and Lana were well on their way towards their classroom leaving Lincoln and Lucy to stroll towards the older ones.

In their trip through the halls, a couple of eyes looked towards them. Each of the owners were those of people that the two knew. Coach Pacowski, Dante, Rusty, Morpheus, amongst a couple of others. But with how close the time was getting for the bells to ring, not many had more to offer than an awareness of the duo. One that did make himself known however was the one practically waiting at the doorway to Lincoln's classroom. Almost immediately Lucy was knocked a few centimeters from her brother by the glomp that Clyde gave him.

"DUDE! You're alright! Oh lord I was so worried!" he cried squeezing the air from Lincoln's crushing throat, "My dads were in full-on panic mode when they heard that you were in some zombie world! I told them you came back, but still! You have no idea how good it is to see ya!" With as much effort as his decreasing bloodflow would allow, Lincoln wormed his fingers between his throat and the stranglehold of his friend. It took a few seconds, but eventually Clyde realized the prying that the boy was attempting to move his arms with and released him. Lincoln's eyes pointed in two different directions as he breathed in gulps of oxygen.

"G-good to s-see ya too...Clyde..." he wheezed as he tried to get back into a more acceptable posture. Giving a sympathetic smile, Clyde rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"S-sorry," he chuckled, "Just...ya know...missed ya man."

"Really?" Lincoln replied managing a smirk from where he slouched. With what he could've sworn was a cracking noise, Lincoln put his hand on his back and pushed it to straighten it back out.

"Come on man! We gotta get in there before the bell," Clyde urged through the slight regret that painted his face. Shaking his head Lincoln started after his friend who slipped through the door but stopped as he felt a tug. He looked back just in time to see a pale hand slip off of the one hadn't been using to manage Clyde with and gave Lucy the smirk he'd given his friend when he noticed the apologetic grin that popped onto her face. In embarrassment, she gave him a shaky wave which he returned. The transaction between the two probably would have taken longer if time had been on their side, but the threat of the morning bell cut their moment short pretty effectively. It was clear that Lucy had a few seconds more of stalling than normal, but all too soon she had broken into a run down the hallway to race against the other kids that were funneling into their classrooms.

To Lincoln's benefit he was only inches from the door he stepped through. When he did he felt like a portion of bacteria that'd been placed under a microscope. He hardly heard anybody's words, but he knew that almost everyone in his class turned their attention to him even if many had slipped back to their previous conversations once they'd recovered from the initial impact of his arrival. He noticed a couple of more stares as he made his way to his expected seat next to Clyde, but none that stayed on him for too long. Even so, it was a bit of a...weird feeling. They weren't constant stares, but from them he could feel a sense of foreignness. Part of them felt like they were viewing him like an alien, though for Zach that was to be expected.

"So how did everything go? Are there any bite marks? Was the recovery alright yesterday? How much Arrgg! did you watch?" Clyde rattled off his questions excitedly. He would have continued but the bell cut him off signalling the start of the school day. As Mrs. Johnson got up and looked over the desks, she noticed one absentee. She was about to mark him as tarty when the tall boy strode through the doors and gave a thumbs-up to his peers.

"Fashionably late," Rusty smirked. He shrugged at the glare Mrs. Johnson gave him and took the seat that she shot her finger towards. The giggling of the other children died down as the teacher started her morning speech.

"Now everyone, settle down. I know it's Friday, but we do have work to get done," she told them, "As you all know next week we will be determining if we'll be taking up the next Save the "Insert Animal Here" Challenge or putting our efforts towards helping to fund a trip to Mars-"

"Let the animals burn!" Zach hollered. The class turned to him in shock at the sudden exclamation. His face pink, the redhead coughed a couple of times, "Eh-I mean...we all remember the name our Polar Bear got." All the students turned back to their teacher in seeming agreement with the complaint. After scanning the faces, Mrs. Johnson folded her arms over her chest.

"What? A number of people would love to have my name!" the teacher huffed, "Anyhow, to prepare for the decision we will be going over the habitats that the potential animal candidates reside in as well as the environment that Mars contains. For discussion purposes we'll also be placing some of the animals onto that planet for-" Lincoln's eyes blinked slowly as Mrs. Johnson's voice blabbed on. Even if the subject was a bit more interesting than others, it was Friday. And with the various ordeals that he'd been through in the past few days it was relieving to just relax and bask in the peaceful non-threatening classroom that her words provided a backdrop for. As she made a menacing pose to display what Lincoln could only guess was supposed to be an animal or some Martian life-form, his mind displayed it as his teacher pantomiming a monster. Almost immediately he started picturing the imagined beast stomping through the woods and tearing up trees. It had to be much more preferable to whatever information their teacher was trying to dispense to them, no matter how excited Clyde might have looked. Besides, his own scenario was probably much more enticing. At the least it'd be more in-line with the culture he was supposed to be mimicking.

As the teacher-monster tore through the woods of his mind, Lincoln's face slouched into the grasp of one of his hands which's elbow had landed on his desk. The stomps and roars of the monster's body made the land beneath it tremble and the leaves of the trees around it rustle. He grinned at the malformed version of Mrs. Johnson that he'd pictured, but that face soon fell away. From over the back of the creature in its latest stomp he'd seen something in his mental landscape. Another stomp confirmed his suspicions. Though he hadn't dwelled on it, his mind had seemed to act on its own in placing the figures into the background of the terrorized forest. Their distant forms became clearer as he zoomed in on their spying eyes. Well...one's eyes. The other's hair refused to allow the sight of her's. As another roar ripped across the land, the imagined version of himself and Lucy grinned at each other before taking a couple of more pictures with their phones. The actual Lincoln couldn't help but smile at their giddiness.

They truly had gotten close hadn't they? That wasn't to say they hadn't been before. Far from it. As shown by the workings of his mind they would accompany each other in the more "cryptid" side of things when the others paid little mind to it, but the scene he'd played...it'd been...different than a mere hunt of Plessy or the freeing of a soul trapped within a hotel air conditioner. They'd been...delighted. The air they exuded...it was the same in their motions and liveliness. She allowed more excitement than normal and he was more tempered in his energy. His hand could feel the easing of his expression. Was that how he saw them? It was true that they...worked off of each other rather seemlessly now. Sometimes they didn't even need a signal from the other to do as the other expected. It was...it was kind of...nice. The symbiosis. Out of the family he figured only the twins had displayed such interlacing, but with Lucy it was...different. There was something...more than mirroring the other with her. Lincoln felt a ripple tremor through him as his face warmed. Was that the feeling of being a...boyfriend? The time for nervousness towards the concept had long since past. In the awkward proudness he only had a smile to show. He had had little doubts of being able to pull off their act that night, but the more he thought about it the more sure he was in their success. If they truly operated as well as he imagined there'd be no question that they'd be able to properly emulate a date.

...and then what? Lucy would have her guy and he would...what? Just fall back into the coziness of his former habits? A week before that would have been exactly how he'd have thought, but with all that they'd been through together...that didn't seem nearly as easy to do as it would have earlier. Lincoln could feel his teeth starting to grind slowly in his mouth. It's not as though they couldn't act out his adopted habits or have Lucy play a couple of games in their spare time afterwards, but their...efforts together. It'd been...surprisingly enjoyable once he'd committed himself to the mission. Would all of that disappear once they were done? Lucy wouldn't need his services any longer so...what about him? A bit forcefully he shook his head. What was he worrying about? She was his sister. His FAVORITE sister. And he knew that she cared about him more than she did most people. Of course the whole boyfriend aspect would vanish following their success, but they'd always have each other. If nothing else their agenda had helped them to understand each other better for how they'd operate in the future. It may have been fun "playing house" with her for the past two weeks, but their intimacy was not something people of their relationship should truly miss...right?

Even if he smiled at the quelling of his fears, the milling beneath his face dwelled on some unrealized aspect of the conclusion of their mission. What it was however, he had little knowledge of, nor would he get the chance to deduce its nature. Instead his shoulders and head jumped as he heard a voice from the teacher that'd stepped up next to him in his daydreaming.

"Well Lincoln, since you're finding the Challenges so interesting, perhaps you can explain to us what happens when you walk across the Martian surface," Mrs. Johnson suggested. Lincoln's lips puckered as all of his classmates looked to him. Clyde gave no help with the view of equal interest that he gave to Lincoln.

"You uh...start dying?" he shrugged.

"When you're wearing a space suit," Mrs. Johnson elaborated. Lincoln's shoulders slumped. Of course she'd come up with a way to jab at his unpreparedness. But he wasn't one to give up.

"So will all the animals we'll be talking about have custom spacesuits made for them or are they just going to flop around gasping for air?" he asked back. A series of giggles circled through the class as Mrs. Johnson rolled her eyes at the remark.

"Nice save," Clyde complimented bumping his fist against Lincoln's while the teacher returned to her desk.

"Well Mr. Loud, it's good to know you've got the more complex details thought out," she said as she took her seat, "It'll help you quite a bit when you have to do all the homework you missed from the last two days." Lincoln nearly felt his heart begin to boil from the stomach acid it must have dropped into. Wasting no time, the other children directed their humored reactions to him instead. Once he'd accepted the teases, Lincoln shifted his annoyance towards the teacher's desk in defeat. She'd won that round, but by the look on her face, Mrs. Johnson did hold some regret to having taunted one of her favorite students. "Now class, let's not be too hard on him," she said raising her hand to calm the children, "after all, Lincoln just had a day of recovery to get through."

"Yeah, he sure looks like he's been through a lot," Girl Jordan coughed getting a few chuckles. Lincoln's glower hardly had time to hold on the girl before another classmate had earned its ire.

"Probably had to play a few dozen rounds of Raging River Racers to heal up those bite marks," Rusty added.

"Maybe you should get some..." Lincoln murmured.

"Lincoln Loud!" Mrs. Johnson exclaimed. Lincoln slapped his forehead realizing how far his voice had reached. Like a chorus, the rest of the class "oooed" at him. Whatever regret towards the initiation of her teasing that she might have had had vanished from the teacher's face. Silence enveloped the classroom as Lincoln waited in his seat for whatever punishment was to follow for his remark. What came however was more surprising than any consequence he may have expected for his chiding. "...okay, so I'm just gonna say what we're all thinking. What was it like?" Mrs. Johsnon asked excitedly. Lincoln blinked a few times and shook his head.

"...what?"

"Oh, don't try to hide it. I was a complete lone wolf survivor girl there wasn't I?" the teacher swooned in her fantasy as she clutched her hands to the side of her upturned face. Continuing his blinks, his mind tried to process the questioning. Looking to either side he could see the faces that had ridiculed him equally as excited as their teacher had been in her guess.

"Oh did I use a gatling gun or did I just have a shotgun?" Stella asked.

"Please, a gun? I was probably bowling those zombies over with a the gym equipment," Girl Jordan assumed.

"Well I know I HAD to have been getting in on some of the action," Clyde announced, "If Lincoln got to go there there's no way their version of his best bud wouldn't help out!" Lincoln glanced towards the ceiling smirking at the rising atmosphere. He doubted he'd get the chance to give much disclosure to the fantasizing room, but it was nice to receive some happier attention.

* * *

Having completed her first round of lectures and assignments, Luan wandered the halls of Royal Woods High School. With her initial trials out of the way, she had quite a bit of time to herself during the study hall she had on her schedule. What was an entire hour of just relaxation to most students was instead of a bastion of advancement for whatever acts she'd normally be practicing for her upcoming birthday parties and stages that she performed at. Just froths of time to refine and modify her recitals, even if a number of the other students present couldn't stand the puns and wordplay she heralded. But she needed to take every opportunity afforded to her to craft her next performance. It may have seemed like an endless redundancy of annoyance to those that spent time around her, but she needed to have the jokes down just right if she were to hit every beat correctly. If she didn't what would become of Funny Business Inc.? It's not like she could allow continual blunders like the scathing act that Lincoln had almost caused at Maggie's party when he'd taken the reigns.

Having made her way to the cafeteria where the study hall had been scheduled, Luan looked for a good seat. And she found one. As she'd hoped, Benny had picked one right in the corner, away from most other students. On most days she would have loved to worm her way into the center of the room and test out her latest jokes on her peers, but on that one her mind swirled with thoughts of the brother she'd reminded herself of. Him and their black-haired sister. As casually as she could, Luan tapped Benny on the shoulder before sliding over and slumping into the seat next to him when he'd turned to look at where she had been.

"I know I'm not the prettiest, but you could at least look at me," Luan remarked causing the unaware boy to jump and spin in her direction.

"Oh Luan!" he laughed joining in her own as he jabbed his thumb back to the spot she'd poked him from, "sorry, your beauty was so enthralling that you were practically invisible."

"Oh you," she giggled, "No need to treat me like a ghost." Even though they'd hardly gotten into a competition, already a few students had gotten up to move further away from the joking pair and join those that had changed their seats when they'd seen the girl of the two enter. Had anyone cared to listen to them, they may have found it a bit odd to hear the boy of the table laughing longer than the maniac with a billion sisters. The only one that did matter though had noticed. Doing his best to dampen his voice in an unsuspecting manner, Benny finished his bout of chuckles with a brief cough to readjust his vocals and looked at Luan with some concern.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked putting a hand on her back, "normally your laughs go on for at least fives seconds before quieting. And that was your own joke. You usually love those." In a brief rarity of contemplation, Luan looked at the boy wordlessly while her pupils shifting across his face every so often. After a few seconds though she burst into laughter.

"Ha! What? Am I not allowed to "trip up" sometimes too?" she asked as she threw herself onto the ground from her chair before hopping back into it and holding out her phone as if to record something, "I don't gotta like every joke that makes it onto the "blooper reel"!" Benny couldn't help but give into a few chuckles at the visual humor. "I only aim for the finest of "Knee Slappers"!" Luan continued performing the action against her own appendage. While it was hard to not give some reaction to the display, even for a few of the other reluctant onlookers in the chamber, Benny's laughing died down quicker than expected. "Aw, don't "sour-up" now. I was just gonna bring out the lemons to-" Luan started in an attempt at another joke, but found her vocals silenced by the hand that grabbed her mouth. While it may have been a surprise that Benny had been the one to shut her up, most of the other student in the cafeteria were grateful for it.

"Okay, stop," he said taking his hand back, "You're forcing them out AND you're just rattling them off now. What's wrong?" Luan opened her mouth to make another pun, but the look on the boy's face stopped her. Her pupils did a little dance around his face again before her outstretched arms dropped to her side with a sigh. Her downed head glanced back up to his searching for an allowance of their usual rounds of humor, but his stonewall expression seemed intent on answers more than laughter. He was one of the few people that could tell when something was off about her, and if it were blatant enough he didn't take those matters lightly. Sighing again, Luan tilted her head towards another part of the floor.

"It's nothing..." she mumbled.

"Yeah, and Mrs. Appleblossom doesn't like Wood Polish," Benny declared lifting a brow at her. Luan grimaced under the pressure. She wasn't used to having people outside of her family understand her quirks well enough to make rebuttals to them, and none of her siblings could play off of her humor naturally enough to jab at that usually when she was acting off.

"Ugh it's...it's just..." Luan grumbled. The table shook a tiny bit as her elbow hit its surface and her head fell forward for her hand to hold it. Benny's hand sliding up and down her back helped to ease the tension building inside her. "...it's...personal stuff..." she murmured glancing at him out of the side of her eye. To her misfortune his face prodded her further. "You-...it's...Loud...stuff..." she grunted, "I...ugh, okay, if you'd done something to piss others off and absolutely deserved for them to murder you and then one of them sticks their neck out to help you, you probably owe them quite a bit right?" Thinking on the bizarre question for a minute, Beni nodded. Luan winced from the inescapable answer. "And this one that you're indebted to. They decide to make use of that privilege a few times. You don't mind it, but eventually you catch on to something going on between them and...another person whom you also help out of a jam when they're together. And THAT person asks for a favor also...they're like...ALWAYS around each other. Working together on...SOMETHING. I mean...you want to respect the one that helped you, but you also want to know what you're helping THEM with when you lend a hand. I mean...it's not wrong to try and figure THEIR scheming out right? It...it's been going on for a while now, a LOT longer than mine did. And the one that's joined in on getting favors from you isn't the one that helped you..."

"But you did still cause trouble for that one right?" Benny reminded. Now Luan's other hand came up to help cradle her face with the first one. Talking was supposed to help, but all it seemed to be doing was affirming her unworthiness in an investigation. And in her heart she knew she had no right to gain that insight. But her curiosity pleaded with her. It begged her for closure. Her breathing evened out as Benny's backrubs became more thorough once he'd noticed the stress on Luan. "Do you think their "scheming" is anything to worry about?" he asked.

"...I...don't know..." Luan confessed, "They were pretty creepy when I helped them get away from someone else that first time, and the one that didn't help me seemed pretty eager to reiterate the fact that I owed the one that did when they got me to do something...I mean they're clearly working together on...something...I just...it's like it's right there but I can't figure it out...I've helped them out multiple times now. Don't I deserve to know?" It was bizarre to see the comedian in such a fit. In a way it was flattering to Benny that the girl would confide so deeply in him, but in another it was regrettable for he couldn't truly give an answer. He knew that Luan likely didn't want to cause trouble for them after how bad some of her pranking must have gone, especially not for the person that had helped her, but she did make a case of sorts for herself that held some weight.

"I know it's not what you wanna hear, but...I don't think I can tell give you a straight answer on what you should do one way or the other," Beni sighed as he continued his strokes, "If you feel you should know then you feel you should. If it were to cause more trouble I'd say no, but...I guess all I can say is that you should do what you think you should." Benny turned his head away as he saw Luan's eyelids flicker. Her face still held the same expression of discontent as it had ever since she'd begun speaking her dilemma. "Wish there were some way more that I could help," he sighed. For the next half a minute the two sat in the silence of the girl's conflicted morals. As his hand slowed however, her jeering smirk began to return.

"Well...if you wanna help...you could always do that...thing...you did on Saturday..." Luan suggested quietly. Thinking back to that day, Benny blushed lightly and looked towards her face to see if he could get confirmation on if he understood what she might be talking about. Seeing her smirk blossom into a heavy-lidded grin, his face deepened in color.

"Luan! We're in school!..." he whispered in disbelief.

"And everyone else is doing their best to stay away from us and ignore us..." Luan said wiggling her eyebrows. Benny almost prayed for someone to have remained at one of the tables near theirs, but to the detriment of an excuse, once he'd turned his head he could see that every seat within three rows of theirs had completely emptied. With a nervous huff of air, he sunk his head back down and glanced at the girl who'd scooted up closer next to him. "Romeo..." Luan cooed as she wiggled her eyebrows more confidently. Benny felt the steam pouring from the ears of his warmed face.

* * *

Unlike her siblings, Lucy Loud spent most of her days in quiet motions. When the teachers talked she listened. When the assignments were given she put the pencil to the paper. When the subject was boring she doodled. Rarely did she ever have input save for when a scarce appearance of a friend might pop up, and even then it was a rather limited conversation given how both she and her acquaintances tended to act. But on that day, even the brief appearance by Morpheus and Borris had gotten little more than a glance towards her. That left mainly Haiku, her most frequent affiliate, to interact with her with whatever those interactions might have been. And as it turned out it was...minimal. Haiku had given her a few words for a greeting and confirmation over her stale happiness that she had returned, but aside from that the older girl had been unusually quiet, even for a Morticians Club member. As they wrote their paragraphs for their shared English Class, Lucy would sometimes glance over to the girl sitting next to her. She didn't know if she expected anything from Haiku, but if she had it was quite a letdown. The girl just stayed focused on her words.

Thinking that perhaps the concentration of the lesson was too great, Lucy joined in on the efforts of the writing, but when she'd finished it in record time she'd realized the simplicity of it given their writing-level. No, Haiku wasn't having trouble with their grammar exercises. She couldn't have been. Her ignorance of the black-dressed girl's peering was purposeful. She either was making an attempt to avoid looking at Lucy or had no interest in acknowledging her. Whatever the reason it prodded with an annoying irritant. It was one thing to not receive a verbal communication, but it was another thing entirely for one of her closest confidants to simply ignore her. As she pretended to write in another word on her filled paper, Lucy shifted her seating a bit. Surely Haiku would have finished minutes ago had she actually been trying, but for whatever reason she was stalling on her motions. Looking at the movements of her hand Lucy could see that. It was as though she truly was doing what she could to avoid a confrontation.

As Lucy watched her friend's pencil slowly etch away at the stationary in front of her she felt her blood slowing more than its already nonexistent nature allowed. Had she done something wrong? Truly Haiku had seemed as pleased as her body would let her be when she'd initially seen the girl return, but after that it'd just been wordless avoidance from her. The other goths had already shown their disinterest in speaking to her throughout the school-day, but for what reason she couldn't figure out. She would have assumed at least one of them would have spoken to her, but each time she'd looked towards one they'd turned away. She didn't know why she'd suddenly become an outcast...of the outcasts. And she wanted a reason for it.

"Haiku," Lucy finally uttered. Knowing that the girl had heard her, Lucy waited until Haiku's elongated pattern of writing had decided to conclude. Closing her visible eye, Lucy heard her take a near unhearable breath before she opened they eye back up with its pupil looking to her.

"Yes?" she said. Lucy felt a slight shiver run across her. Their voices normally held no emotion, but Haiku's...it was...disconnected. It may have sounded normal to those that weren't accustomed to the goths of the school, but to Lucy it carried more...impartiality than usual.

"...sigh. What is wrong?" Lucy asked.

"...what do you mean?" Haiku asked. Lucy did her best to stare into her through her overhanging bangs, but Haiku remained unfazed by the gesture.

"You know what I mean," Lucy murmured. Haiku just stared at Lucy under her vain expression of unawareness while the other students, unhearing of the quiet pair, scribbled their words around them. "The goths," Lucy elaborated getting no satisfactory response from Haiku, "why are you all...not talking to me?" Again, Haiku closed her eye, though this time Lucy felt as though she could garner more emotion from it. It was brief in the transition between positions in her view, but for a flicker she could detect some form of anxiousness from the bend of the older girl's clenched eyelids.

"Oh well...I don't know the exact reason for the others, but it's probably jealousy from them if I had to harbor a guess," Haiku told her. Lucy straightened her back at the response.

"...jealousy?" she asked in disbelief. Haiku nodded. "...jealous of what?"

"What do you think?" Haiku responded, "You got to go to a world of the undead. It's not everyday that one of us gets so lucky."

"...why wouldn't they talk to me because of that?" Lucy questioned.

"They probably don't want to pester you about it. You were offered a nightmare come true. You got to experience it. They likely don't want to crowd you given the type of people we are," Haiku suggested with her eyes back on her paper. With the hypothesis offered to her, Lucy sat back into the full width of her chair. Her face hung with her perpetual line of a mouth, but her head soared with pride. She hadn't even thought about what the others might think of her otherworldly adventure, and with the siblings that they had in that school, word had likely gotten around about their time away.

"So I'm like...a...hero to them?..." Lucy asked slowly.

"I guess so," Haiku said curtly. Lucy mind continued to drift around by the wings of mental bats in the supposed realization. Once they'd lowered it back into her cranium however the short and direct reply of her friend ran across her.

"...what about...you?" Lucy asked. Blinking with more response than she'd seen from her that entire session, Lucy watched as Haiku's pupil drifted back over to her with an almost offended look of surprise.

"Me?" Haiku asked. Unsure of if she should or not, Lucy nodded. "What do you mean what about me?" Haiku asked.

"Well...you haven't been talking to me either and...the explanation you gave was for the others..." Lucy pointed out. Blushing, Haiku jerked her eyesight to the side and folded her arms over her chest.

"Lucy..." she muttered, "Not all of us get as lucky as you. We aren't just handed respect on a silver platter. You've been absent from both the Morticians Club AND the Writing Club for TWO WEEKS now." Though Lucy's mouth opened, her teeth gripped each other in light of the reminder. The look Haiku had given should have been warning enough that her own reasoning had been different from her proposed one for the other goths. "It has NOT been easy," Haiku told her, "Having to do everything as a solo leader. Getting advertisements done for the upcoming Ball, helping with its construction, managing the Morticians Club overall."

"Haiku I-"

"But even with all of that...I'm mainly just...worried about you," Haiku said. Lucy shook her head at the sudden change in atmosphere.

"...worried about me?..." Lucy repeated, "Why would you be worried?"

"Sigh...Lucy..." she murmured, "...you keep skipping. Yes, some of it's been for obvious obstacles, but it's been two weeks now. The thing that's been hardest about all of this is...worrying that maybe...you're not gonna...stay a...goth..." Within her throat, the younger girl felt the vibrations of what she could only assume was laughter taking hold, but as expected it didn't make it out to the world outside of her body.

"Me?...not goth?..." she said keeping a smile from her lips, "Why would you ever-"

"You don't show up," Haiku reiterated, "we hardly see you anymore other than the times that I have class with you. I'm not saying you're going to stop being goth but it's...it's worrying...I'd rather not lose the most promising Mortician I know..." Blushing at the statement, Lucy shifted in her seat again. It wasn't everyday that she was told how talented she was in the field, at least not from those outside of her family. She knew that she meant more to Haiku than others, but it was surprising to hear concern from the dry girl.

"Sigh...I have been...going through a...um...lot lately..." Lucy tried to explain, "But I promise, I will make up for the absences. I can take over for a while for the Morticians Club and give you a-"

"That's been...irritating," Haiku admitted, "But it's not the main thing I'm concerned about. Missing so many gatherings...usually isn't a good sign for staying part of a group..." Lucy squinted as she looked back down at her masterful short poem on the dreariness of the fast food service. She couldn't just tell Haiku the main reasons that she had been absent. It'd be an affront to her efforts of leading the others in helping to get ready for the Ball, not to mention a bit...questionable in her own methods. But Lucy knew it was silly to fear for her status.

"Haiku, I will not stop being a goth. You have my word," Lucy promised, "It's an impossibility for me to do so. And do not worry, I myself have been finding time to get ready for the dance. You WILL see me there. It's just these past weeks have been...difficult..." Haiku's eye slid to Lucy to accompany the movement of the younger girl's unseen ones. "But I'm still me," she assured her. Dropping her eyelid halfway, Haiku let her mouth crack into a weak smile.

"As long as you're sure," she said.

"As sure as I am destined for the darkness of the eternal walk of the mortal world," Lucy nodded. Both girls grinned at the renewed morbidity between them as Haiku picked her pencil back up to finish her paper.

* * *

As the sun beat down on Royal Woods High School, students swarmed the halls darting about for their next classes. Of the Louds there, Leni repeatedly attempted to walk through a wall to get into her classroom while Luna provided some frantic background music for the masses as they sped around. For some however they took their time. The bell had only just rung to signal the departure for the next class and that gave many the chance to lounge about if their next destination was close enough for their liking. One of those people that saw fit to dawdle had apparently been the oldest of the Loud family who stayed slouched against her locker door buried deep in texting. Most of her peers likely assumed that it was yet another of her endless conversations with her beloved boyfriend that she simply just wouldn't let go of no matter how far apart they were. But in truth, there was no one on the other end of her typing. At least, no one but herself. Throughout the last couple of classes of the day she'd been invested in her handheld device which had gotten her some disapproval when she'd thought the teachers hadn't been watching her. But with the freedom between classes she could jot down anything she could think of. And she had a LOT to think of.

The teenager was so engrossed in her phone that she didn't even notice the smirk of her comedic sister or the nervousness of her hot-faced boyfriend that she clung to as they passed. Her typings were too important. The "family issue" was too important. She couldn't remember the last time she'd become so entranced by a mystery, but after the complete bizarreness that Lucy and Lincoln had displayed the night before the analysis of it was unavoidable. She was the one that it fell to to make sure everyone was in line, the one that was responsible for their maintained well-being, and she intended to fulfill that role to the best of her abilities. Whatever was going on between the two she needed to get to the bottom of it, and that meant going back over what she could piece together from what she could remember of those two operating more closely. Her brows furrowed as she wrote down another instance that she could remember of them whispering to each other in the back of the van. That'd made about five times that she could recollect. After listening in on the scheming of the twins and Lynn the night before she'd made sure to make note of their part in the ordeals as well but could only think of Lynn being annoyed when they'd been chasing Scoots when she'd become a supervillain. She could only assume her participation had been ignited by Lucy defeating her in that game of basketball over the weekend which had clearly had to do with Lincoln. The whole Assistant-Bot thing that Lincoln had taken the blame for didn't feel like it would have been a part of it, but it had been suspiciously close to the recent events involving him and she obviously didn't need to remind herself of that garbage with how it had stuck in everyone's heads.

As she typed her mind worked. It flipped and flopped as it tried to come up with conclusions to whatever unknown controversy had taken hold of the household behind the scenes. Whatever the result however, part of Lori feared what the answers might be. She sighed as she jotted down Leni's mention of "consoling" Lucy over a "boy" and felt herself wince as she thought back over the advice she'd given Lincoln a few days back. He liked someone. That had been obvious. No matter how much he might deny it the writing had been all over his face when he'd been making those eggs. But with the reveal of Lucy's own apparent crush on another unknown person...Lori wriggled her lips about to swallow back a rising substance in her throat. Giving another, more ragged sigh, Lori typed down the advice she'd given to Lincoln and did her best to ignore the prodding inference.

"Lori? You coming?" a voice asked. Jumping from the sudden call, the blond looked to her side to see a red-haired girl.

"Oh-y-yeah Becky just...just gimme a minute. You go on ahead, I'll see ya there," Lori mumbled.

"Who you texting?" she asked craning her head over to get a look at the screen of Lori's phone, a motion the the blond clearly did not approve of with how quickly she pulled it away.

"N-n-no one!" Lori almost yelped causing the other teenager to give her a suspicious look. Even with the grin that she put on her face, Lori's investigated stance was not undone. "...ugh, it's...it's nothing. Just...trying to figure some things out about the family."

"Ooo! What's the drama?" Becky asked trying to grab at the device. Intent on keeping matters as private as she could, Lori blocked the excited girl's face with her hand.

"Nothing," Lori stated clearly, her unspoken wishes on the matter obvious, "It's just family stuff. The twins, Lynn...Lucy...Lincoln..." Becky backed away from the hand and tilted her head as a smile spread across her face.

"Oh yeah, him," she laughed, "His tricks at your party were awesome." Realizing what her friend was referring to, Lori blushed in embarrassment. "You know you really owe them. Your family's great," Becky told her, "Don't hang around out here too long though." Knowing she didn't have time herself to investigate further, Becky let Lori's secrets remain her own as she bounded off for their next class. Sighing to herself, Lori slumped back against her locker and continued her typing.

"...yeah...they usually are..." she murmured to herself, "...usually..."

* * *

The hallways of Royal Woods Elementary wafted with the silence of peace. Save for the far off shutting of a few lockers here and there, the only noise that could be heard were the clacks of a lone wanderer's shoes against the hard floor. As the older man passed by the latest set of doors, his eyes scanned each side of the hallway they were on. Within them respected and confided staff members operated with the children listening intently to what their guides had to say, those that he could see that was. Principle Huggins breathed a content sigh of relief. After the insanity of the week's beginning it was nice to see the establishment having settled back into normalcy. He could still remember the chase through town as he accompanied the Loud family in their efforts to stop that granny-turned-supervillain. Quite a bit of their time within the school itself had been a blur, but he'd never forget the speeding through the streets or the crash of the ruined helicopter near them. Checking to make sure no one was around to witness it, Principal Huggins spun in place and brought his shuddering fists to his chest. He had never felt such exhilaration. It was like he had been in an actual Ace Savvy comic book! And not the newer kid-friendly ones. No, that had been strictly Silver Age dramatics with Golden Age freedom! A smile and wink to go along with the gunshots.

Once his energy had quelled, Huggins came to a stop and jerked his head around to either side to check for possible onlookers again. Finding none he wiped his forehead and readjusted his tie. He didn't know what he might have done if he, of all occupants, had been caught dabbling in the childlike enthusiasm that he'd displayed. He couldn't let himself dawdle on the bubbling remembrance for too long. It was a place of business, a system to educate the future of the town and prepare them for their lives to come, and he, above all else, was the force to see to that regiment with a stern grasp. He couldn't let that reputation loosen for a brief memory of the childhood dream he'd gotten to live out. Popping his eyes to a wider width and looking around again, Huggins did one last twirl. Just as curtly as before he snapped his feet back together at the twirl's conclusion and slipped his arms behind his back in seriousness. One last bout of elation wouldn't destroy his career.

Getting back to his inspection of the state of the establishment, the man slid his view from one end of the hall to the other with the next set of classrooms that lined it. As expected, the teacher of one of the chambers was spouting out some instructions while in the other a young girl was answering a question. Craning his head further towards that door he realized that the child was one that he had fought alongside on Monday. Lola Loud. It was good to see the tike back in a more natural setup, and with the taste of freedom around the corner she seemed to wear quite the smile as she talked. Next to her however, her twin looked to be more worse for the wear. It was a bit of a startle to see such a young kid bearing such concern on her face. While the rest of the class looked expectantly towards the front of the room, Lana fidgeted her hands that she held together and stared at on her desk. Every so often the corner of her mouth would deepen alongside the tensing of her eyebrows. Such an expression might be suitable for the middle of the week, but so late into it? And for her double to not share in the features it was...odd. Either Lola was better at hiding whatever concern the other might have or it was one of their stark contrasts to each other.

Huggins couldn't hang on the scene forever though. Aside from the fact that it might seem weird for the principle to be watching the students, he still had other tasks to attend to. After all, who else was going to make sure that Pacowski had rounded up all the gym equipment before the elongated weekly break began? With his shoulders as sturdy as he'd adjusted them to after his dances, Huggins proceeded towards his continued duties. Eyeing the walls top-to-bottom, he shut the lockers that he found open and picked up a soda bottle that his foot connected with. He'd have to remind himself to make an announcement next week about the importance of the school's trash cans. Upon finding the nearest one he tossed the bottle in. As it clunked into the other debris at the bottom of the container Principle Huggins' eyes caught sight of his coat which had become a bit ruffled, likely from the movements he'd made earlier. Annoyance on his complexion, he did his best to straighten the fabric back out with his hands. Sweeping back the top of his head afterwards, his studious gaze noticed something else. A crack in the wall next to the trash can. He breathed an unamused sigh towards it.

Though the school had mostly been redone after the chaos on Monday, some scars still remained even after having had help from that wonderful invention of Lisa Loud's in the school's rebuilding. Due to its aide the construction had been completed within a single night, likely being what had caused the robot's subsequent collapse and breaking during the efforts, but even with it he had noticed some wounds that remained within the establishment. To the care-free students it likely seemed like the same old building, but to someone as studious as himself the more he wandered the building the more he noticed the next-to-nonexistent differences. Which wasn't to say he wasn't grateful. To have the building in working order at all following what had happened was a miracle, but it did clash with his decades of memories whenever he'd come across a mark or restructured fracture. To him it stuck out like an orange marble against an ocean of blue ones with how well he knew the building. But in time those warped details would fade into the normalcy of the complex's structure. Until that time he just had to take solace in the fact that they still had a school to run.

Starting his patrol around the halls again, Huggins continued his actions of tending to the disorder he could find. While he did enjoy the ducking out of some of the menial responsibilities that came with his line of work, he did take pride in his role. After all, he'd seen to the start of the education of those that had already graduated even High School with how long he'd been in the game. There was a degree of satisfaction to be had when he'd see ones from years long past waiting on him at a restaurant or seeing some at Parent Teacher conferences with offspring of their own. Coming to a stop at the classroom that the super-hero-fueled calamity had originated from, he smiled as he looked into it. It had certainly been quite an ordeal to take back the school from that insanity, but the students that had helped showed only an even brighter future for the town. His beaming hung firm as he scanned his eyes over what he could see of the room. Having forgotten the unease that he thought he'd feel from being spotted in his observations, the corners of his mouth turned downwards as he noticed every single face in the room turn to him.

Realizing the sound that had echoed through the halls however, his heart sank for an entirely different reason. In his routine monitoring of the halls he'd completely lost track of time. Before he had time to react, Principle Huggins was practically thrown to the side as the door to the room erupted open allowing the students within to join the other grades that began to swarm through the ringing hallways. Desperately the man clung to a set of lockers that he was swept by, but he could feel his grip slipping. Bit by bit his body was sinking under the clamor of the smaller bodies that drug at his as they passed. His pupils shrank as his hand came undone from one of the handles. Wondering if the week's end might mark his own as the swarm of youth began to make their way towards the exit of the building, Principle Huggins flailed around helplessly until his panicked arms found an object and wrapped themselves around it. He was too relieved to have found a grip to be startled that it was moving. Once he'd caught his breath he looked at the boy he'd managed to ensnare and found it a bit ironic to have been the township's savior. That was two that he owed the young hero.

"Clyde! Thank goodness I found you," the younger male heard from what he had thought had been a snake of Lana's that'd gotten loose and caught him, "My boy, I know this is a bit of a detour, but I'm gonna need you to make a pit stop at the Principal's-"

"See ya later Clyde!" Girl Jordan laughed as she shoved him to the side in her run.

"HEY!" he and the principal exclaimed. The man clung to the boy for dear life as they were tossed about through the sea of bodies. Huggins knew that the race for the outside world could be great on some weeks. Even as far back as his own childhood he remembered the bumps and bruises to be gathered from the eternal weekly mass exodus, but he needed to get to the sanctity of his office before his hope was taken from him. And he knew how reliable the boy that he'd enlisted was. "Listen Clyde, we just have to take a left up here and-"

"Move it man!" Rusty said as he bumped past the boy. Again Huggins felt the friction of the bodies that they ricocheted off of. Unwelcome memories of his own defeats returning, Huggin's leg shot out to Clyde's side and caught hold of the orange-haired child that had knocked them further off course. Rusty barely had time to notice the limb that had spoked between his legs before he fell face-first onto the ground and somersaulted across it a few times. "NOOOO!" his cries faded as his figure became lost in the stampede. Clyde looked to the Principal's face in shock, but afterwards shared in the grin he gave him. He may have even actually decided to help return the figurehead to his quarters had a younger pair of girls not made their own advance. Principal Huggin's eyes went wide as the former happy and disgruntled blond twins from one of the classrooms he'd passed by earlier rushed forward. As if recited in their actions, Lana grabbed her sister's hand and sent Lola spinning in a ballerina twirl. The circle she made in her spinning knocked a few of the children around them out of the way, but the collision that hit their main target snapped the older man's grip off of Clyde and launched him into some nearby lockers. Knowing that he could nurse off the bruises later, Clyde refused to give up the race for his seating on the bus and only stumbled back a couple of feet before falling back into pace with the wave of kids around him.

"McBride! Don't leave me!" Principal Huggins cried in vain as he was swept away. It didn't take the boy long to readjust himself once the brief regret for the older man had washed off, but when he had he knew that he'd never catch up to where he'd been. His chances of meeting up with Lincoln's own efforts had been dashed by the affront of his younger siblings. Noticing the large shadow that flew past him, he looked up and glared at Lisa as she piloted herself and Darcy towards the door above the ocean of kids on a flying saucer. Of course the genius of the school had to cheat. Her brother however seemed to be holding his spot and keeping the distance between himself and the twins. The only real threat he looked to be having was from the girl that had knocked himself and Principal Huggins off-course originally. Eager to pay the boy back for how he'd won out against her the week before, Girl Jordan used her body to smash Lincoln's into each locker that he ran past. The boy tried desperately to edge back, but with how his body leaned into the wall he rarely got the chance to gather up the momentum to bounce her back. And a split into another hallway was just up ahead. If he didn't break out of the hold before too much longer he'd be flung straight into the forking passage.

As the opening came within six feet of them, their bodies felt another push, this time from the side Lincoln wasn't on. Though it did push him against the lockers even more, the force felt as though it'd been aimed at Girl Jordan causing him to look towards the side that the offense had hit her from. Both he and Girl Jordan looked in surprise at the newcomer as Lucy hit her shoulder against the older girl's arm again. Catching the younger sister's grin, Lincoln joined in the effort with his own shove from the distraction Lucy gave. Girl Jordan tried to shove back at him, but that only allowed Lucy to cave into her even further which bounced Lincoln's body back from the lockers like a spring when Girl Jordan's reflected off of him. After another pair of shoves from the siblings, Girl Jordan propelled off of him enough that he was able to squeeze barely squeeze by enough to shoot forward. Joining him in his run as Girl Jordan faltered back a few steps, Lucy smirked up at him and looked back at the older girl they'd moved past. She was not giving up though. Burning with rage at her stolen victory, Girl Jordan charged forward with as much strength as she could pump into her legs. Nodding to each other, Lincoln put his hands down in front of him. Taking the cue from their fight against Mr. Grouse the day before, Lucy put her foot into the hold and allowed Lincoln to toss her over his head back into the oncoming female. Baffled by the smoothness of their actions, but honing her reflexes, Girl Jordan ducked to the side causing Lucy to sail right past her. To her misfortune, Lucy's own motions were too driven by the adrenaline of the chase, and just as immediately she sought a counter to her escaping target. Spotting a flapping locker door ahead, she grabbed its handle and launched herself off of it as she bounced from the locker next to it that she slammed it into. Girl Jordan let out a small cry as the goth hit the ground behind her and slid past her leg knocking her into a twirl. Carrying herself up into her own spin as she bounced back to her feet, she grabbed Lincoln by the hands and threw him back.

"You'll get me back for this at gym!" he told the classmate who he hoped he'd be hitting. Before Girl Jordan had time to recover she felt the boy's feet slam into her chest knocking her back into the hall that she'd attempted to push him into.

"FUCK YOU!" she cried as he bounced away from the impact against her body and dropped back into his position next to Lucy. Grinning to her, the two continued their charge to the front doors of the school. Lost in their own pitiable "duel", they took no notice of their two blond sisters that lagged a few rows of children behind them. While Lucy and Lincoln did shove against each other, their pushes held nowhere near the force that the ones towards their combined enemy had had. And as they neared the exit with the rest of the school their "assault" became less pushy. By the time the bleeding sunlight had filtered across their interlocked silhouette their shoves had dampened more into mere presses against each other in the enrapturing friction that they'd let their waning efforts die into. But it was still a competition, and one that any child was entitled to win. Her brief contention showing, Lucy pressed back a bit harder inciting Lincoln to do the same which only led to further shoves from her.

Their conflict was practically gone from their senses by the time they hit the floor in the wrestle that their battle had become. Rolling around in their mix of limbs, the two did what they could to overpower the other, their lips lined with delighted grunts from the forgotten race that swept beside their disqualified positions. They just rolled and pushed at each other for the sake of it. Their bodies fought for an edge over the other while the rest of the children clamored by, few sparing their glances towards the downed competitors. Of those that did, Clyde urged himself to help his fallen friend, but he knew that Lincoln would have probably gone on without him. In the fray of the weekly evacuation all the kids knew the unwritten rules of survival. If they gave too much aide to anyone else, especially with how high of a chance they had for those they helped betraying them, they'd lose what standing they had. One that did stall however was Lana. She didn't know why, but something in her crawled up and across her skin at the sight of the glee that her older brother and sister displayed. They weren't trying to win the race...they were playing. Leaving aside the fact of the abnormal ignorance towards the exiting of the school, the way they...grinned and teased at each other with their halfhearted pushes...it neared the oddness of what she'd felt from their performance when Luan had been with them the previous Friday night.

Before she could dawdle on the scene much longer however, a tug pulled Lana from her trance. Having noticed her twin's pause, Lola pulled her back into the run of the children around them.

"Hey snap out of it," the princessier sister grunted as they started their retreat up again, "With those two distracted I got an idea for how to give us more prep time for when we get home!" Lana took another glance over her shoulder and watched as the older Louds continue to roll around on the floor with each other until their figures became blocked by the advancing bodies shoving around them. The longer that the two older Louds tried to outdo each other's presses the more and more the flocks of children waned. And as they decreased so too did Lincoln and Lucy's movements until they merely lay atop one another panting with only sparse pushes from one's hand to the other's. To the onlooker it was a clear indication that their efforts had tired and the futility of the dominance over their classmates had set in, and while that was a component the boy and girl moreso had simply eased into a comfortable stalemate. Lost in their view of each other, Lincoln smiled down at the girl he'd pinned while she gave the same expression back to him. Her arms hardly buckled under the lack of pressure that his used against them to prop himself up over her.

In those moments the world seemed to fade away. For whatever reason they lacked movement and just stared into each other. Sharing each other's air, staring into each other's intent. Smiling. Happy. Lucy felt her butt and back drag a tiny bit along the floor as Lincoln's inevitable exhaustion relaxed his body against her's. Her cheeks filled with a warm blush and her eyes slid upwards as his worn figure pressed into her's. She could feel the flow of his blood beat beneath his chest with how much her arms had let his press them downwards. Settling on a more comfortable prop, Lincoln undid his grasp from Lucy's and slid his hands to either side of her body keeping his face suspended inches from her's. In the lowering afternoon sun she truly did look beautiful with how her hair splayed out around her. He was almost envious of the boy they would be trying to get for her that night. If she weren't his sister those details could very well spark his own interest. Even the way that her breath tickled his cheeks drew an appeal. That boy she was after had no idea what he was eluding.

Letting out a small sigh, Lincoln brought himself back and sat on his legs. Her entrapment undone, Lucy pulled her own legs up from either side of him and turned her head towards the side smiling. Lucy knew it did nothing to hide the blush that rimmed her cheeks, but be it for their roles or for other unknown reasons, they'd begun to welcome the feelings that the hue brought. It was comforting to bask in the emotions with each other. Trying to shake off his own blush, Lincoln looked around. The few stragglers that remained behind were filtering out as quickly as their scruffed figures could allow. One such brown-haired girl held her middle finger out to them as she passed. The few that had fallen into their own skirmishes along the sides of the hall in manners akin to them had mostly recovered from their own dejected duels to start their hobbling to the exit as well.

"You're pretty cute ya know," Lincoln told her. Lucy stared at him just as dumbfoundedly as he did to her.

"...what-" she asked.

"WHAT?" Lincoln repeated almost immediately with a cracking voice. The two looked like tomatoes as they each attempted to say something but they stopped each time the other would open their mouth.

"Um-well...I-um..."

"I'm-j-just saying, th-that boy...he's going to love you," Lincoln coughed. Getting up, he ruffled her hair and blew a hot jet of steam from his nose. If he'd remained in her eyesight any longer he'd been afraid that his head would have exploded. He didn't know what had possessed him to blurt out such awkwardness, but all he could do afterwards was work with it the best he could. As Lucy pulled her hair back into place in annoyance the coloring of their faces was able to dull more back into normalcy. The messing of her looks may have been a nuisance, but it helped to readjust their nerves in that recovering simmer that her brother's words had filtered through her head. Looking up she could see him smiling back down at her. "You'll get your guy," he told her, "I know you will." She didn't mind the second ruffling he gave her hair as she hugged his leg. The warming of his face almost cooled completely in the gentleness that her hair gave his fingers as they sifted through it.

"Sigh, the emptiness of defeat ensnares even the heroes of that death-wrapped realm," a voice stated. Instantly Lucy undid her arms from her brother's leg and turned to look at the group of kids that had made their way into the lobby with what little remained of the school's attendees. Blushing lightly himself, Lincoln took back his own hand and used it to scratch the back of his head. "Gasp, sorry. We um-...uh..."

"What Persephone means to say is..." Borris coughed.

"Come on guys, it's not like they're going to bite us," Dante murmured. After pausing for a second his eye drifted back over to the two Louds in a modicum of hopeful questioning, "...will you?" Lincoln and Lucy gave each other a glance, but seeing as who the crowd was, Lucy tilted her head towards the door a couple of times. Figuring it was best to let her handle her club and knowing that they did have their ride to catch, Lincoln nodded and headed for the outside to see how much time was left for the bus. Left to her friends, Lucy got up and brushed off her dress as the group approached.

"So what was it like?" Morpheus asked.

"Was the air as dreadful as the movies make it out to be?" asked Persephone.

"What was most death-inducing situation you found yourself in?" Dante inquired. Looking around at the friends, Lucy filed the questions through her mind to choose which one might be best suited to answer first.

"...so there we were, neck deep in the zombies that occupied the crypt," Lucy said throwing her hands out dramatically.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" Lincoln's voice hollered from outside jerking all of the goths' heads towards the door. Looking back and forth between the group and the outside world, Lucy let her shoulders slump back into their normal posture.

"Sigh, I would love to catch up with everyone's bleakness, but it sounds like I should probably get going," she told the group.

"Tis fine oh child of the night," Persephone nodded.

"We can talk later," Borris added. Lucy nodded back.

"If any of you are at the Ball of the Undead, I will see you there," she said before making her departure.

"Oh joyousness, she is going," Persephone said looking to the other smiling goths. As their figures became obscured by the windows of the front doors of the school, Lucy approached her fuming brother outside. Rattling off what she could only assume was some obscenity, he threw his arms in the air and bounced up and down at the edge of the sidewalk that led into the parking-lot.

"...where's the bus?..." Lucy asked once she'd gotten within range of the...more adult choice of words Lincoln had been using. Dropping forward slightly, Lincoln's eyelids halved in the direction of the exit to the school's parking-lot.

"Probably a mile away by now," he grumbled. Lucy looked to the exit herself and then to the rest of the yellowish orange transports lining the sidewalk. Sure enough, their bus was missing.

"It should still be here. We weren't in there that long," Lucy deduced.

"Yeah...I know..." Lincoln murmured. Looking to the taller boy, Lucy saw his unamused glower towards the school gates blink slowly. His annoyance was far from misplaced with the urgency of the night's tasks ahead of them, but even with that there was still pleasantness to be felt. His brows jumped upon feeling her hand slip into his. After looking down at the connecting appendage, he sighed and gave her a half-hearted smirk. It wasn't the end of the world, but they would have to do a bit of jogging if they wanted any time to relax before the big event. Even without the bus though, they at least had each other for company, and that was something that neither of them could find fault with.

* * *

A determined grin plastered Lola's face as she kicked open the front door of the Loud House. Displaying a rare moment of uncaring towards the finesse of her actions, she tossed her book bag right onto the floor next to the door and started for the stairs. Her plan might have worked, but that didn't mean they could dawdle. Already the two older Elementary Schoolers were probably speeding through the sidewalks of Royal Woods to try and catch up to the bus that had long since left them in the dust. What little time she could buy though was sure to be appreciated by her allies. Lynn, who'd been waiting on the couch, jumped at the sudden appearance of the two. She hadn't expected them home that early. Normally their bus took at least a few minutes longer, but thanks to the princessy girl's intervention they'd been given more preparation time than they'd hoped for.

Bounding up the steps next to the blond that strolled in after the pink-clad one, Lynn smacked her fists together excitedly. She may have had reservations towards certain implications of their agenda but it needed to be done and to make sure she was in proper fighting shape she had to pump herself up. The time was almost at hand. At last they would take down those monsters that so dangerously threatened their society. And the girl that beat her at basketball. She felt some confusion however. Normally Lucy and Lincoln would file in right after the others, if not beat them home entirely, but there'd been no sign of the black or white-haired residents of the house. Lola and Lana must have ran as fast as possible ahead of them to make it to the house first, but Lynn should have at least heard the entrance of her roommate and her younger brother by the time the group had made it to the top of the steps no matter how much of a head start the twins had had. And the girl she walked beside didn't show many signs of wear on her.

"Not that I'm complaining, but where's Stinkin' and Luce?" Lynn asked suspiciously.

"I'll tell you later," Lola replied from the front, "Just know that you're welcome." Pursing her lips, Lana tilted her eyes away from where they were walking. It may have been necessary, but she hadn't expected so much resistance from Clyde when she'd subdued him. Even if he wasn't the most energetic kid ever he definitely put up some squirming to try to break free and speak out against Lola's assurance to the driver of the bus that Lucy and Lincoln hadn't shown up to school that day once everyone else had gotten onboard. Shrugging off the curiosity, Lynn accompanied the twins into their chambers. With neither of their targets home yet, they had little reason to sneak around. It took only seconds for the group to retrieve the various items they'd left in the room earlier. Lana checked over the scope of her modified gun checking for smudges in its viewing part. After a few pulls of the trigger with the safety on, she flicked it off and fired a shot through the open door. The resulting "splat" laced the area of impact with the spicy liquid contained inside its ammunition supply. With each swish of her bat, Lynn cut at the air with the blade that had been strapped to it. She could feel the blood pulsing in her ears from the excitement of the fast-approaching confrontation, but at the same time could also feel her wariness towards the plan as well. What if they actually did succeed? Would this be the end of their brother and sister? What would the family think? Another shot from the gun of the plumber of the family vibrated the intensity of the threat through her. Whatever the outcome was, those two needed to be stopped. Slashing harder than ever, the "swish!"ing sound of the blade morphed into more of a "shwang!". No matter what happened, they would beat them. SHE would beat them.

"If you two are gonna waste your time on the air, maybe I should give one of my flash grenades a test too," Lola suggested. Lynn and Lana's eyes darted to the spherical object that bounced up and down in the girl's hand and gulped. They zipped to stand at attention in front of her as she raised the weapon threateningly into the air. To their relief, she lowered it back to the holster that she'd strung around her body once she saw that they'd fallen in line. She may have agreed to work with them, but she wasn't one to dilly dally around the issue. If they were operating together against their foes, she'd ensure the preciseness of their schedule. Everything had to be perfect after the amount of time she'd bought them. Carefully she looked her allies over. Aside from the sweat decorating their foreheads, their stances seemed ready and their equipment was collected. Even Hopps poked happily out from his owner's overalls. Scrutinizing her own items, she took out a few of her grenades and tilted them around in her hand. Lynn and Lana winced each time she made too quick of a movement with one, but eventually they'd settled back into their holders.

"Alright people," she muttered swiping her hair back, "I know that I haven't been the most tolerable leader-"

"Leader?" Lana mumbled.

"You joined yesterday-"

"But I believe in you!" Lola continued apparently not noticing Lynn or Lana's input, "And I swear, on Mr. Sprinkle's adorable nose that we shall prevail!" Lynn and Lana eyed each other over the impromptu motivational speech that had begun pouring from the other blond's mouth. "...oh get over it Unice, I didn't see you lifting your pinky at the last tea party!" she shouted at the apparently offended Unicron stuffed animal at her tea table, "Ahem. Anyhow, the moment of truth is at hand. This household may be in the gravest of danger, and some of you MAY die. But these your sacrifices will not be in vain. For we shall ensure the safety of our family, NAY, all of Royal Woods!" If crickets had been listening their applause would have been great in the unkempt silence to follow. Popping open one of her eyes, Lola beamed her blissful pride at the two more judgmental Louds that stood before her. "Now then Lana, if you would be so kind, please get Lynn's weapon laced with the Holy Water," she ordered as she spun around and looked towards a door across the hall, "I'm gonna see if I can get anymore assistance before our two...guests of honor show up..." Shaking off the egotistical confidence of her twin, Lana grabbed Lynn's bat. Catching sight of Lola as she neared Lisa's door, Lori pulled her head back into her room.

It was beginning.

* * *

Lincoln panted with each step he took. His lungs burned from the air he forced in to keep his body going. He knew he should probably stop for a break, but with their ride home gone they needed to make up all the time that they could. The sun dipped lower into the horizon as the noodles that his legs should have become fought with an unquenchable energy that refused his slacking. Behind him, Lucy had just barely been able to keep up. Neither of them had ever been the most athletic Loud there was, but the urgency of their rush left them with no mercy. What should have been a simple trip home and hopefully a bit of lounging afterwards had instead been turned into a hellish dash through the streets of Royal Woods. While the normal students that'd been let out were able to enjoy some time at the playground or a Flippee, the two Loud siblings had had to race by such excursions, each view of a denied luxuriation stabbing ever harder at their hearts. It wasn't until they had gotten to the block of the neighborhood that their house resided on that Lincoln had noticed the straps of some plastic rings that were used to hold cans together clinging to his foot, a souvenir he'd likely picked up from when they'd taken a detour behind Flip's establishment.

Once he'd successfully pried it off with a couple of jumps, his waned body forced him into a more relaxed stroll. With the house finally within sight, rest could begin to set in. The breaths Lincoln took no longer felt as though they were going to shatter his ribs during the inhales even if they still stung. Knowing that his sister was somewhere behind him, Lincoln buckled his walk even further allowing her slowed pace to catch up. She didn't give much indication towards how breathless she herself had become, but it was obvious to tell by the way her lips shook as she attempted to preserve her silent nature through the exhales she gave.

"Wheeze...wheeze..." Lincoln could hear Lucy's voice just barely utter as she clomped her feet up alongside his. Her body vibrated as she took in her breaths. If she hadn't been so insistent on keeping up her quiet reputation she would have been able to at least allow a stillness for her body, but even with Lincoln's decreased dash that only slowed it down to what her pace had become. Knowing that there was now time to spare with how close they were to their destination, Lincoln fell back even further prompting Lucy's own decreasing hurriedness and allowing her the chance to catch her breath. Feeling tension still pumping through her adrenaline-laced veins, Lincoln put an arm around her waist and almost immediately she dropped her head into his neck. Lincoln's more developing body may have provided a tiny bit more of a scent than her's, but not by much. And with the spent body she did possess, the fragrance was...unusually welcoming in their slowed walk. Nuzzling her face deeper against the space between his head and chest, Lucy sucked in more of the settling aroma. Whatever shakes remained within her controlled inhales calmed from its spread throughout her system.

"Lin...coln..." she said quietly. The two's feet slowed even more as they made it to Mr. Grouse's house. With how deeply she buried herself against the boy it was impossible to hide the ragged breaths that she attempted to keep in. While the exhales may have retained some shakiness, she craved the calming that the inhales provided. "Lincoln...I'm s-sorry...if I had just g-gotten up s-sooner-"

"Hey, it was my fault too," Lincoln reminded, "I could have stopped that little "match" just as easily. It's not like you immediately following me would have even done anything with how fast the bus left...the DRIVER was the problem..." Happy to have no ill feelings towards her, Lucy braked their progress to wrap her arms around his body and squeeze him. Needing some of the recovering comfort himself, Lincoln did the same and nuzzled his face into her hair. "But hey, we're here...it's gonna be alright-"

"Hey Louds! Nice job missing the bus!" an older voice hollered from a window above. With incredulous disbelief at the interruption, the boy and girl looked up to Mr. Grouse who'd propped himself up at his open window.

"...how did you know we didn't come home?" Lucy asked, genuinely curious.

"Cause you weren't with your sisters!" he blurted back. Lincoln and Lucy stared at each other.

"And why were you watching them?" Lincoln continued.

"Well gee, it's kind of hard to ignore the one that breezed by on that alien device of her's," the older man scoffed recollecting how the youngest of the students had flown into her room from the bus-stop, "Normally you at least are able to keep up with the the twins."

"Look, we...it's a long story," Lincoln sighed while Lucy hung her head. The old man cocked his head at them.

"Oh I don't care," he told them, "Just felt you might need an insult." His business concluded, Mr. Grouse dropped back into his residence and shut the window leaving the two kids to glower at each other. Muttering their distaste for the intrusion under their breaths, Lucy and Lincoln shook their heads and continued the walk to their own house. With how long they'd taken to get there it'd left no room for anyone else to have not made it home before them. Their legs hardly had the playfulness needed to bounce up the steps to the front door. As Lincoln dropped his foot onto the top step of the porch, he reached for the door but his arm was jerked away by the hand Lucy grabbed his with. Having been spun to face the girl, Lincoln looked down at her.

"Sigh...Lincoln...this was...grating to deal with..." she confessed atop the light soreness of her feet, "But...as always...hrm..."

"...Luce?" he said lifting an eyebrow at her. His air was forced from his mouth as she slid into his chest and tightened her arms around his body. Once his eyeballs had settled back into his head he looked down and smiled. Gently he stroked her hair.

"Thank you...for everything...ever..." Lucy's muffled voice said through his shirt, "I love you..."

"I love you too," he smirked, "...in a fake boyfriend kind of way." It took a few seconds, but once Lucy had pulled herself back Lincoln could see the playful grin that had clamped onto her face.

"Well...I AM your fake "girlfriend"..." she cooed. Blushing happily, Lincoln pulled one of her hands up above her head and twirled her around. She too blushed as she landed in his other arm which had shot out to catch her. "Oh my Mr. Loud..." she tried to say as seductively as her vocal range would allow as the limb pulled her close to him.

"I do believe we are ready for the dance Ms. Loud," he grinned. Grinning herself, Lucy fell out of his retreating grasp and stood back up. Lincoln reached for the doorknob again, but this time his pause came from himself. With how much running they'd done it'd probably be best to insure their presentation, even if it were just for their family. Licking his hand, he used it to brush back his slightly scraggled hair. Catching onto the motions, Lucy tugged at her own and straightened her dress out while Lincoln dusted off his shirt. After looking each other over they nodded and he turned the knob. As casually as possible they pushed the door aside and stepped into the living room beyond. The first thing noticed was the aroma of freshly cut potatoes and carrots bubbling away with some fish in some pot in the kitchen. With how much money their father had been making as of late from the restaurant gig, he'd been deciding to spice up the fish entrees he'd sometimes still make on Friday.

They'd likely have floated into the kitchen from the wafts of the smell had they not noticed the other prominent feature of the scene. While the living room itself had been surprisingly empty for a Friday, one area of it was quite occupied, moreso than it probably was meant to be in fact. Jerking to a stop, Lincoln and Lucy looked at the three sisters that stood before them on the stairway, their eyes clearly drilling straight into them. Lincoln and Lucy gave each other a confused look, but as they turned back to view the trio again they felt a surge of unease pass through their spines. In each girls' hand was a different weapon, and they all seemed readied. They would have probably dismissed the gathering as a simple game they were hoping to get the middle children involved with, but the expressions on their faces and the...lethalness of Lynn's equipment faltered that perception. Taking a sniff of the air from their direction, Lucy clutched her nose at the garlicky scent she picked up and welcomed the arm that Lincoln put out in front of her.

"Uh...what are you guys doing?" Lincoln asked. The group had certainly earned attention enough to stall his and Lucy's mission.

"Taking you out," Lola declared. As she held her hand up and snapped her fingers, Lana and Lynn aimed their weapons at them. Lincoln's pupils narrowed from the glint that the blade attached to Lynn's baseball bat flashed. "Vampires."

-end of segment-

I never said the final chapters would all be in single parts.


	17. Beneath the Pale Moonlight Part 2

Chapter 15: Beneath the Pale Moonlight Part 2

Lincoln and Lucy gave each other a perplexed look before turning back to look at their apparent adversaries. The grips on the girls' weapons tightened as the glared back them.

"I can't believe you never told me..." Lucy said. Lincoln snapped his head back to her. Beneath the emotionlessness of her tone a lacing of sorrow could be felt, "When were you planning to bite me? I've been waiting for-"

"Oh knock it off, we know what you BOTH are," Lola growled, "Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way. And we prefer the hard way."

"...we do?" her accomplices asked. Lola slouched forward as her eyelids lowered.

"Ugh, you two really need to learn how to sound intimidating," the beauty queen sighed.

"Oh I know how to sound intimidating," Lynn told her as she stood her weapon up to lean against it, "But this just sounds like unwanted trouble you're asking for."

"Uh...guys?..." Lana said.

"Honey, you obviously haven't been in the competitions I have," Lola replied flicking her hair at the older girl, "You need to get the bear to show its teeth before you display your dominance. Only then will you know that you've beaten-"

"Guys..."

"Or...you just cut off the head before it makes a move," Lynn spat back.

"Like they're doing?" Lana asked. Lynn and Lola's eyes widened as the girl made her first shots. Having taken the opportunity in the group's self-distraction, Lincoln and Lucy had already gotten a halfway across the room by the time the liquid had begun splattering around their feet. Knowing there wouldn't be much time before it caught up to them, Lincoln grabbed Lucy's wrist and pulled her behind the couch where he proceeded to wrap his arms around her and roll across the floor into the room beyond it. Hastily Lola and Lynn followed Lana in her pursuit. Be it through her unwavering focus or having had the most investment in their efforts, the more boyish of the twins took to their targets' heels the quickest and by the time they'd reached the backside of the couch her affiliates had their weapons brandished and readied. Their eyes flipped from side to side in their search for the missing Louds. From all they could tell they'd disappeared.

"Great, this is one of those "you can't see em" things isn't it?" Lynn muttered.

"That's only when you look at them in the mirror you dolt," Lola sighed.

"Will you guys hush? I'm trying to find em!" Lana hissed. More out of curiosity than obedience, the two quieted and watched the girl's methods. With focused alertness she sniffed at the air. First a couple of short sniffs and then a more drawn out inhale that she seemed to gulp down once it'd slid through her nasal cavity. After a few more sniffs her eyes blinked open and her pupils slid towards their parent's bedroom. Looking to the others, they nodded to each other and slid up along the wall of the living-room. Even if no one quite knew what the hand-signals Lana gave meant, the makeshift hunters had the implications down enough that they snuck into the room with each tilt she gave of her hand. Once Lola and Lynn were through Lana checked around and gave one last tilt signalling her own entering of the chamber.

Fortunately for them, with their father preoccupied with the cooking and their mother making use of the garage for some peaceful writing, the three pursuers had little objection towards the investigation of the oldest family members' normally restricted room. Their search through the drawers and closet was thorough, though they were a bit more delicate given the territory they were in. After all, none of them wished for any scolding or punishment for the strange intrusion should evidence be left for their guardians to find, and their quiet was something to be admired with how close one of the parents already was to the room. One little clatter was all it'd take for their father to become curious. Even so, Lana did her best to inspect even the remnants of what had remained carved out of their parents' old secret bathroom behind the walls of the room using her ears and knocks from her knuckles, but nothing fed back the location of their prey. Their scent was in the room, but the trio could not find them.

"Do it now. I'm ready," Lucy prodded from where she huddled beneath her brother at the bed's underside. In confused hesitation, Lincoln looked down and sighed at the sight of his sister bending her neck towards him.

"Lucy, I'm not a vampire..." he groaned. The girl tilted her face up towards him but dropped it back down as such resumed the presentation.

"You don't have to lie "my love", I will allow you to take me," she pleaded, "after all, should you start the conversion it will allow me to make the claim more meaningful on this night should he choose to accept the ever coveted fate of immortality-"

"Luce! Do you honestly think YOU wouldn't have caught onto me being a vampire by now if I were one?" Lincoln pointed out. Thinking for a moment, Lucy let her hair drape back over her exposed neck.

"...but...their must be some reason they made that claim when we got in," she reasoned, "and I know I'm not one. And if you aren't-"

"Look, I don't know why they're doing this or what this is about, but we NEED to get out of here and get ready," Lincoln said. He pulled up the covers near them to get a look at the door but flung them back down over their hiding spot as he noticed a pair of feet walk by them.

"With them on our tail?" Lucy murmured. This was just what they needed on such an important night.

"Hey...we're going to that dance...don't worry..." Lincoln assured her. Lucy snuggled into his constricting form as she felt his cheek rub into the side of her head. She may not have seen how the chances might shift in their favor, but she enthralled herself with what little comfort she could get from her "partner".

"Alright, let's see how well this device works," Lola's voice said. Tensing, Lincoln and Lucy looked for an escape. A break in the patrol of their hunters. Something. But all they could find were the feet of their sisters at every side of the bed. Lucy bit her lip. Whatever Lola had just activated had made a soft humming noise, no doubt a device absconded from Lisa. The heat-reading visor that Lola had procured from her deal-making however wouldn't get much use before another signal pulled their attention back to the closet. Under the threat of the entire week of training possibly being for nothing Lucy's body refused to let themselves be undone. Grabbing a shoe from the edge of the bed's underside, Lucy twisted her body to get a good view of the still-open closet and tossed it as quickly as possible at it. Had anyone seen it they probably wouldn't have even known what they were looking at with how fast it had blurred by, but what mattered was the sound that it'd made. With how it hit the wall of the closet and bounced around between it and the interior of the opened doors, it made just enough of a ruckus that all three sisters dashed straight over to it. Lincoln pulled Lucy back into his embrace and rolled them out from under the bed and back into the living room while their predators looked over the inside the inside of the alcove they'd followed the sudden noise to.

It didn't take long for the misled girls to double back and poke into the main room of their parents' chambers again, but by the time Lola had picked up the heat signatures of their departed siblings they were already on their way to the steps.

"Thanks dad, we'll keep that in mind!" Lincoln said giving him a thumbs-up as their chasers popped into the living room.

"I'm sure it'll be to die for," Lucy added. Noticing the other girls, she joined Lincoln in his jaunt towards the second floor which the three other Louds soon charged towards as well.

"Oh girls, dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes!" their dad told them happily.

"Smells good!" Lola complimented.

"Aw man, Charles is gonna want some so bad," Lana said giving him a thumbs-up as she passed.

"Can not wait!" the younger Lynn said licking her lips as she followed them up the steps. Left to his project, the older Lynn stepped back into the kitchen. Before he could dip the ladle back into the broth however his brows jumped and he shot a concerned glance towards the living room.

"...were they in our room?" he blinked.

Lucy felt the soreness of her feet building back up as they raced up the stairs. With all the running they'd had to do to make it home in the hopes of having time to prepare for the Ball, her muscles had practiced enough to get more used to the physical activity than normal. That wasn't to say it was welcome though. The prolonged chase only delayed their objective even further, an objective that they had worked towards throughout the entire week. Why were they being chased? What did their sisters want? Why did they think that they were vampires?...well okay, why did they think LINCOLN was a vampire? Sure their "hanging out" might have been a bit prominent throughout the last week, but what had they done that might have incited such suspicion? And why did it have to be on that night?

Whatever questions flooded Lucy's head would have to wait, for as they hit the top of the steps, the oldest of the commotion reached their footing and swung her blade. Noticing the shine of the object, Lincoln pulled Lucy downwards letting the weapon fly right over their lowered heads and sink into the wall. As Lynn put her foot on the wall to try and give her some leverage to pull the object back out, Lincoln gawked. They were actually trying to HURT them! Whatever paranoia had overtaken the three sisters had risen an unforeseen danger for he and Lucy. But Lincoln wasn't ready to let himself and his "partner" die. Not after all that they'd been through. And with the ordeals they'd dealt with together, he was sure they had more than enough experience to outwit the three opponents. Lynn and Lana may have fought alongside each other against them before, but just as with what he could remember of that instance he was sure Lucy and him could win out in that one. They'd battled their way through a crypt of zombies together!

As Lana spun into the scene and let off a volley of shots from her gun, Lincoln pushed Lucy to the side. Their bodies hit the wall on either end of the corridor making soft "thunk"ing noises in the boy's efforts to save their scents from that of the garlic juice that flew past them. Reviling the substance, Lucy ducked and rolled along the floor as the shots came closer to her. The more physical threat however had begun to approach them after finally having retrieved her blade from the inside of the wall it'd been lodged into. The white and black-haired children looked around wildly for an escape and at almost the same time their eyes fell on their way out. Pulling their attention down from the upper part of the wall behind their attackers, Lincoln and Lucy nodded at each other. The only obstacle they truly had was the sharp object nearing them. It may have been stupid to attempt to get beyond that, but they didn't have many choices. Adrenaline overriding the fear, Lincoln jumped forward but stepped back as Lynn took the bait. He'd "fought" with her more than enough to know how to avoid some of her attacks if he kept his composure enough, and as expected she'd swung right at where he'd been.

Taking Lucy's hand he ducked her past the taller girl. Realizing their maneuver, Lana took aim at the approaching duo but received a kick straight into the wall from the foot Lucy connected with her jaw. In the commotion, Lynn had tried for another swing at the pair, but again they ducked below the swipe of the blade, and as they came back up Lincoln, who'd locked his hands beneath Lucy's foot, launched his black-haired companion at the upper part of the wall they'd been eyeing. Lucy's body acted on its own as it dove into her ever-desired ventilation system. She lowered her body back down out of the vent to grab Lincoln as Lynn made her final swing at him which he gladly jumped over to grab onto his escape. Lucy pulled with as much might as her legs would allow, and with surprising speed she managed to slide her brother into the vent alongside her leaving their pursuers to look on in annoyance.

"God damn!" Lana grunted as she rubbed her jaw.

"Those little..." Lynn muttered as she stabbed at the vent with her spear. They could get up there, but the fleeing pair had an unfavorable headstart, and at least one of them knew the ventilation system better than anyone. Who knew if they'd be able to catch up to them.

"Girls, relax," Lola smirked as she took off her heat-seeking goggles and pulled one of her projectiles into view, "I got this."

The crawl of escapees echoed throughout the vents of the house. Had anyone been listening they'd might have wondered if some sort of raccoon had gotten in. Had the one that most frequented the vents had time to recognize the noise they left in their wake she would have been ashamed at her less-than-stellar stealth. The threat that had chased them though didn't leave her time to bask in her usual silence. They had to put as much distance between themselves and their psychotic reprimanders as possible. As a light "tink"ing sound bounded towards them however that became less far less doable.

"Lincoln, watch it," Lucy said putting her hand out to stop him. He'd almost fallen straight into a hole in the vent they were crawling through which seemed to just stretch into shadows below. To set an example, she pressed herself up along the side of the vent and crawled along the rim of the hole's opening. "That leads to-" Whatever the girl had been saying was silenced from the blinding light that shot out from the spherical object that'd bounced into view and exploded between them. For a moment Lincoln wondered if they'd been killed. The weightlessness certainly lent itself to an idea of the afterlife, but as the brightness died into powdery sparkles, he could tell just why his body felt so air-bound. He was falling. As was Lucy. Whatever had been thrown between them had hit them with just enough surprise that they must have fallen straight into the hole. Lincoln could make out the rush of each segment of the metal chamber around them as his hearing began to return and wherever the shaft that they were falling through led they were coming up on its end. Fast. With Lucy either unconscious or still recovering in front of him from the shock, Lincoln swam down to her in the fall as best as he could. The journey may have taken mere seconds, but it felt like minutes as he fought against the air current. Just before they could reach the bottom, Lincoln finally got his hand around Lucy's wrist and pulled her into a tight embrace.

With dull thud, a cloud of ash erupted from the furnace in the basement. Its hatch billowed open allowing the two children to fall through and slide onto the floor. Having fully regained her senses, Lucy whipped her head around. Due to the darkness of the basement most people wouldn't have been able to see, but her eyes adjusted quicker than many with how perpetually hidden they were. Realizing what had dampened her fall, Lucy rolled off of Lincoln. Getting no response from his closed eyes and splayed mouth, Lucy put her ear to his chest. It took a second, but his heartbeat did play for her. Hoping to snap him out of whatever stupefaction he'd let her body know him into, she pulled him up to her eye-level and shook him. All that truly accomplished was flailing his loose head about, but at least she could feel his breathing whenever his mouth drew close to her.

"Oh come on, where are they?" she heard a voice echo. Turning her attention to the furnace she realized the danger they were still in. After whatever the girls above had used to stun them, they'd taken the chance to try and catch up to them by crawling into the vents themselves. "They aren't down that way, and they aren't at the bend!" Lucy was more alone than she'd felt all week in the presence of her incapacitated accomplice. "Well the heat signatures end here. They're around somewhere so find them!" Lola's shrill voice cut through the metal. Frantically, Lucy darted her head around to find an escape. It'd only be a matter of time before their followers had realized where they'd gone. As the voices congregated around the shaft leading to the furnace, the goth's eyes came to rest on a window towards the ceiling of the basement.

"Get moving..." a voice murmured to her. Looking back to her brother she could see his barely visible pupils poking towards the same spot through his cracked eyelids. Looking back to the window, she nodded and proceeded to drag his body towards the wall.

"Sorry," she told him as she propped him up against it. Lincoln shrugged. He knew it wouldn't be too comfortable, but he was ready for the friction. Using his shoulders as a step-stool, Lucy elevated herself up to the window's height and flung it open. Once she'd crawled through she grabbed hold of the neck of his shirt and yanked him through it. Once the window had clacked shut, she found a somewhat heavy rock and shoved it in front of the potential opening before moving back over to where she'd placed the boy against the outside wall of the house under the patio they'd emerged beneath. The rock may not have ensured their safety forever, but it would add on even more time to their sisters' search than they'd already chanced upon when they'd been knocked into the basement. With swift delicacy, Lucy ran her fingers across Lincoln's limbs, body, and head. Since he gave no winces or reaction to whatever pained areas may have laid beneath his skin, she could only assume that he'd just gotten a bit roughed up in the fall. Still, to take the brunt of it for her...that couldn't have been the most pleasant impact to endure, nor was the merciful act lost on her. He may not have given much of a reaction to her fingers, but he let out a surprised grunt as she squeezed her arms around him. Sighing, he stroked the back of her hair and nuzzled against the stands that pressed into his throat.

"Sigh...Lincoln...I'm so sorry," Lucy murmured into his shirt.

"Hey, it's alright," he comforted as he ran his fingers across the back of your head, "It's not your fault."

"It is..." Lucy groaned, "Lana got creeped out by us on Friday, Lynn's been after us all week, and Lola got weirded out by your "gothism" yesterday." Lincoln's eyes lifted in realization. When the younger girl put it like that, their perceived vampirism made slightly more sense. "It's my fault...if I hadn't talked you into this they wouldn't think you'd be acting weird and-"

"Lucy stop," Lincoln said. A wetness lined her lower eyelids, but the girl looked up as the hand running across her scalp came to a stop. She did her best to try to hide the guilty glow of her face as she looked up. "It is not your fault. I agreed to this," he reminded, "And like I said, we are going to that dance."

"But you-"

"Are fine," Lincoln told her shaking her grip off for evidence, "Just...a bit shaken up from the fall is all. I should be okay to move now." In the glimmer of the setting sun, their faces glistened with orange and yellow through the weaving shadows of the supports of the patio. After a spell of silence, Lucy's shadow moved up into Lincoln's. The coloring of his face hardly mattered with how the sun bled across it. Barely making a sound, Lucy's lips pulled back from his cheek and she rested her own cheek against it.

"...I'm sorry," she told him. Lincoln found it surprising how hard it was to form words to respond with under the wave of intensity that the kiss sent through him. At the same time however, it bubbled an unprecedented boast within him. Pride and confidence welled through his body from the surprising intimacy of the girl's apology. Sucking in a refreshing breath, Lincoln closed his eyes and blew it from his nose. He pulled Lucy back from him with a firm smile as he reopened his vision.

"All we gotta do is get to my room and get that suit," he surmised, "from there on out it should be smooth sailing."

"But Lynn and the twins-" Lucy started, but was cut off by a deafened clamor of footsteps on the basements stairs that sounded from the window next to them.

"Have just left the first and second floors free," Lincoln pointed out. The boy and girl huddling beneath the patio looked to each other once again, Lincoln's smile now a grin. "You ready for one last adventure?" he asked. Hearing a series of bumps and clangs from the window near them, Lucy's body crawled. She didn't have much time to make her decision, but no matter what reservations she might have had only one option presented itself as the answer. Knowing there was not much choice to be made, she looked to Lincoln's face and gave a stern nod. Nodding back he pushed himself up from the wall and followed Lucy in her crawl to an opening in the patio's support. By the time the window they'd been near had started to rattle they were already back in the house. Initially Lincoln just waltzed right in, but a hand from Lucy halted his progress. With their threat lurking directly below their feet they couldn't just jump about carelessly lest they summon the danger directly to them. No, they had to move quietly, and for that Lucy's wordless guiding pulled him into her subtle footfalls. More versed than ever in the bounce of the movements, Lincoln's steps joined her's in their noiseless slink to the stairwell once he'd caught on to what she was doing.

"Oh, Lincoln, Lucy. D-" their father said upon spotting them but stopped once he saw the fingers that they put to their mouths. Clearly annoyed at the disturbance he'd caused with his unexpected intrusion to their quietness, Lynn Sr. gave them a bashful grin and shrugged his shoulder. "Sorry," he whispered, "Dinner will be in eight minutes." Their scowls flipped to faces of excitement as they gave him a thumbs-up. He shook his head with happy approval as they continued just as silently up the stairs. He was surprised at how well adept to creeping around with Lucy Lincoln was, but it was nice to see the oft forgotten child getting some company in whatever she was doing. What they were doing however would prove to be far easier than their previous attempt with the removal of their siblings from their path. Once they had reached the second floor, they became more carefree in their movements since the first floor likely masked their run enough from the ears of the Louds searching the basement.

"How are we gonna break the news to dad?" Lincoln asked, "I mean he's gonna expect us at the table, especially since he JUST saw us."

"Don't worry, I'll write him a note," Lucy said as they darted for his door, "You got pencil and paper in your room?"

"Does Ace Savvy carry a spare deck of cards?" Lincoln smirked. Getting nothing but a blank stare from his companion he coughed. "That um...that means yes-"

"Groan, I got that," Lucy murmured causing Lincoln to look to his side in embarrassment.

"Still...kind of want that fish. Smells really good down there..." he mumbled.

"Lincoln, you're the one that just gave that just convinced me to keep going outside," Lucy said as they reached his door.

"Right..." he sighed grabbing the doorknob. Determination brimmed back through his body as he squeezed the handle. They had a job to do. It'd been what they'd been working towards the entire week and to let that fall through, especially after the consoling he'd given the girl next to him, would be quite a betrayal...no matter how good dinner smelled. "Alright, I'll get my suit, and you get that note written and-shit!" Lincoln hissed cutting the plan short, "You still gotta get a dress right?" Lucy looked down at herself as the question filtered through her ears.

"...fuck," she mumbled. In the string of issues delaying their retrieval of Lincoln's outfit she had completely neglected the acquisition of one for herself. Of course she could go in her normal outfit, but like how she'd dismissed the idea of Lincoln's more casual goth dressings from the previous Friday for the upcoming event she herself would be the one to draw attention to the subpar display if she arrived in her usual attire. "Sigh," she mumbled. With each bound forward they made, there seemed to be another travesty to block the path to their success. "I'll...I'll think of something," she told him.

"Right," Lincoln nodded hesitantly, "One thing at a time..." Lucy nodded back as he pushed the door open and slid inside. Followed soon after by her, Lincoln hopped over to the coat rack in his closet of a room and started flipping through the copies of his normal clothes while the black-haired girl dashed over to his desk to retrieve her writing materials.

"Sigh, I can't think of more complex wording under this pressure. What rhymes with fish?" she asked as she poked her lip with the pencil she'd found. Lincoln shot her a dumbfounded look.

"Lucy, just write a normal message. We don't have time for poetry," he told her, "Who knows when those three will come back up here. We just need to jot something down to tell dad we won't be here. Once I get my suit we'll work on getting something for you and then we're gone-" Lucy and Lincoln's eyes dilated as they heard the click of his door. Immediately the spun around to see a tall girl holding it shut.

"You two literally aren't going anywhere," Lori glared at them as she folded her arms over her chest. Lucy and Lincoln gawked at the teenager. Where had she come from?! Lynn, Lola, and Lana may have been more of a danger to avoid, but she seemed to have known exactly where to wait for them! And the view of her made their hearts sink. She may not have had weapons, but she knew exactly where to strike and how to counter them. In one of her hands dangled a blackish coat and pants. She had Lincoln's outfit! In one fell swoop she'd practically dashed their efforts. "You two are you going to sit right on that bed explain what you've been up to," she ordered pointing to Lincoln's mattress, "NOW!" Lincoln and Lucy gulped. Hesitantly the two looked to each other. They were out of options. The suit they'd been after was now in the hands of the oldest and most intimidating sibling of the entire household and it'd only be a matter of time before their previous pursuit caught up to them in the stalling she now provided. Their options depleted, Lincoln and Lucy squinted at each other and did the only thing they could think of. They attacked.

"What the fuc-! OW! Wha-?! STOP!" Lori cried as the two younger children launched themselves at her and began to tear at her limbs and body. Lori's collision with the door behind her vibrated a good portion of the second floor of the house. In their cornered predicament, Lincoln and Lucy beat against her with all their might. Lori's cries of alarm dulled into grunts of frustration and pain as she began to slide further towards the floor. Being the older of the two, Lincoln's jabs tended to deal more immediate aggravation but Lucy's strikes, while less impulsive, felt more crafted and precise. For whatever physical prowess she lacked when compared to her male partner she more than made up for with her knowledge of the human anatomy. Lori could swear that she'd felt a crack in one of her joints from the way that Lucy had struck the appendage. But Lori was not one to go down easy. Lola may have displayed an insane amount of agony when she got mad, but neither Lincoln nor Lucy came close to instilling the kind of worry that that young girl did. Feeling infuriation more than anything from the unexpected physical resistance, it only took one swift punch from the older female to throw Lincoln back with the crack that her fist gave his jaw.

It wasn't until Lori had gotten up that the younger girl clinging to her leg realized her solo effort as she saw Lincoln trying to get back to his feet from where his hand tried to pull himself back up next to his bed. Feeling the weight dragging on her, Lori flailed her leg about trying to shake the dark-clad girl from her, but that only resulted in further constriction from the vice-like limbs that'd been wrapped around it. Lincoln shook his head about to readjust his wobbled vision and instantly tried to stumble back into the fray at the sight of his companion's situation. Swinging more wildly, Lori bounced around while Lucy did all that her restrained position could allow and opened her mouth. Letting out a wail, Lori jumped up and down as the younger girl's teeth that sank into her thigh. Almost at once Lori fell to the ground in a kneeling position to try to beat at the wannabe-vampire with her fists. The pounds to the head that Lucy received didn't last too long however. In a blow that sent stars sailing across her vision, Lincoln smashed his fist into Lori's cheek spinning her around. Lucy finally let go with her brother's rejoining to the fight and rolled across the floor until she hit the wall opposite of the door.

Her vision spun, but she could make out the figure of her brother opening the door. Spotting the clothing that he had grabbed, she followed the signal his head gave and darted out into the hallway as Lori began to climb back to stability. Lucy was about to fling open the door to her room to look for a proper outfit of her own, but the growing voices that had congregated towards the bottom of the steps jerked her advance to a stop. Lincoln's mouth joined the wince of her own as they saw Lori get to her full height and scowl at them. Her growl had already left her mouth by the time she'd shot from the doorway of the boy's room.

"I'm telling you! That was Lori!" Lynn's voice insisted from below, "We made our move and now they're making their's! We gotta take them out before-"

"Lori? Are you okay up there?" their father called. Lucy backed up closer to the stairs where Lincoln stood as the girl in question charged at them. They backed up even further as they caught sight of their previous predators gathering at the bottom of the stairs where their dad watched with concern. Frantically the outnumbered pair looked the hall over for some means of escape. ANY means of escape. But all their eyes fell upon was the one passage they'd used to get away in their previous chase. Though wary given their last experience with the tunnel, Lincoln threw Lucy up at the vent which she instantly bent back down to pull him through. As he disappeared into it Lola, expecting the repeated maneuver, lobbed another of her grenades after them. But she wasn't the only one taking note of the deja vu. Without even giving the item a chance to land, Lincoln stabbed his leg downward kicking it back the way it came as the sound of the charging parties collided at the wall he and Lucy had managed to slip into.

"I'm gonna snap your necks!" Lori's voice yelled after them as the explosion of the flash grenade echoed from the entrance to the ventilation system. Like caterpillars under a flock of birds, the escapees crawled as fast as their limbs would carry them through the vents. The amount of noise they made didn't matter. All that they cared about was finding a way out. Some exit. Some way to make it back to Lucy's room without the others noticing. Once they'd heard the clatter of another few pairs of hands from where they'd come however they cared little for where they ended up. After passing the hole to the basement, Lucy pulled Lincoln around a bend in the system and the two fell through an opening and onto a dresser that bounced them to the floor of the room of another pair of siblings. Staring back at them were the two brunettes of the higher age group. Luna let off a single strum that she'd been holding back after the startle of the younger siblings' entrance while Luan pulled her ear away from the door she'd been pressing it against.

"Dudes, what is going on out there?" Luna asked, "The whole house is in an uproar."

"Lincoln! Lucy! We're gonna find you so you may as well get out here!" Lynn's voice called. The teenage roommates looked at the children before them.

"...well, you two sure know how to "bring down the house"," Luan laughed, "But seriously, what's going on?"

"Sigh, we don't have time for this!" Lincoln grumbled, "Look, we're gonna need you to help us get to Lucy's room."

"Sigh?" Luan repeated quietly. That mannerism...whatever was going on it was related to whatever they'd been doing with each other the previous Friday.

"Brah, do you really think that's such a good idea?" Luna asked, "It sounds like a freakin' hurricane out there."

"Come on guys please!" Lincoln pleaded, "Look, we...ugh! We're so close!" While questions did remain about just what exactly was going on Luan's expression displayed a modicum of pity for the desperation that the younger kids displayed. Lincoln's verbalness was pretty telling in his anxiousness, but Lucy had opted instead to sit on the ground with her knees drawn up to her face. Whatever was going on...it was serious.

"...kay brah, I think we can work somethin' out," Luna smirked as she strummed her instrument.

"Wait what?" Luan asked, "You're just gonna help? I mean I want to too but...what is this all about?"

"Luan, please just-!"

"No!" she spat cutting Lincoln off, "I wanna know what's going on! I helped hide...whatever THIS was last Friday."

"And you think that makes up for what all you put him through before that?" Luna murmured as she got up and approached the door.

"W-What do you uh-"

"Dude, you're talkin' to someone that has a brain in their head," she sighed pushing her roommate to the side and grabbing Mr. Coconuts. Lincoln's eyes jumped as Luna's deductions hit him, but not nearly as much Luan's did at the sight of her comedy-partner dangling from her more careless sister's grip.

"Alright sure! Fine! I owe him but...come on..." Luan whined grabbing Luna by the arm, "Are you honestly telling me you aren't curious? At least leave Mr. C outta this!" Looking to her arm, Luna rolled her eyes and turned the knob of the door. "Luna please! They're right here! We can just have them answer one little-"

"Nope," Luna shrugged as she attempted to pull the door open. The comedian's grip remained firm though.

"Okay, but you can get something else!" Luan requested.

"Sacrifices brah," Luna said excusing her choice of distraction. With how noisy it was out in the hall, they probably didn't have much time left to help in the stalling. Lola and Lana were on their way back out of the vent by the time Luan and Luna's door opened. With the Lynns tending to the various blonds, none of them seemed to noticed the blur of wooden parts in a blue suit fly from their side of the hall into the room of the eldest sisters.

"OW!" Leni's voice yelped alongside the wooden thud that sounded from the room. Immediately the girls in the hallway threw their heads towards the source of the noise and charged into the room Mr. Coconuts had landed in. "Oh hey guys what are-AHHH!" Leni cried as they flooded her living quarters and threw her to the side. Flashing them a thankful thumbs-up, Lincoln grabbed Lucy's hand and pulled her into the now vacant hall. Her job done, Luna smiled and shut the door to begin making her way back to her bed.

"Did you really need to use Mr. Coconuts?" Luan grumbled.

"At least he's good for something," Luna chuckled, "And hey, he just made me laugh, so that should be a win for you." The brace-wearing teenage glared at the musician's "comedy" as she picked up her guitar and began strumming again.

"I can not believe you did that," Luan huffed crossing her arms, "You didn't even think about it! I mean...look at how they've got the others! Should we really not have given more thought to what side we're on in this?"

Her brows kneading, Luna paused her recital to shoot her own glare at the jester. Luan gave a wide cringed from the rare amount of distaste that her roommate was showing her.

"What side we're on?" Luna murmured, "Brah, you decided what side you were on when you had Lincoln clean up your mess. Now suck it up. You just want to see what those two are up to. You get the answers if they let you. If not you ain't earned them." Luan's face seeped back down into a competitive glower. As the sounds of chaos waged on in Leni and Lori's room, Luna brought her guitar pick back towards her instrument. Its strums barely plucked though before she stopped. Luan's hand falling to the handle of the door had wavered the bounce of her arm.

"Brah...let it be..." Luna said.

"I'm just going to...see if they...need help..." Luan tried to propose. Even if she had the intent of assisting them, Luna's eyes lined with disapproval at the clear ulterior motive she carried.

"Just drop it sis..." Luna murmured. Luan didn't care how little her expression hid her curiosity for the agenda of the younger Louds. The temptation was too great, and she too neglectful of her roommate's insistence. After all, what did she know of the extent of her efforts in helping the two throughout the week? Sure Luna may have had an idea, but she hadn't seen how eagerly the younger duo had pushed for her aide. After what all she'd done for them, surely she was owed some iota of information. Benny had said to do what she thought she should, and that's what she was doing as she turned the knob. Before the door could fully leave the frame however it snapped shut from the guitar that was chucked at it and got stuck between the ground and its handle. Vainly Luan gave the board a few tugs, but it wouldn't budge. It'd been pinned shut. Luan directed her glare back towards Luna who got to her feet with an equally insistent expression of anger. The sun blanketed their shadows on the wall behind them as they opened their mouths and charged at each other.

* * *

"Ugh. Seriously Lynn?" Lucy grumbled as she tugged at the door. How that girl had even gotten the jockstrap she'd wrapped around the doorhandle tied well enough to a spike that she'd driven into the wall to keep it from moving was beyond her. No matter how much she tugged and pushed at her bedroom door though, the thing just wouldn't open. It was like it was glued shut. "Come on..." she grunted giving the board another shove with her body, "Move you...son...of...a...bit-"

"Lucy stop," Lincoln said.

"Sigh..." she said as she felt his hand grab her shoulder.

"No, stop..." he repeated. Taking a glance at him she realized where he was looking. Down the hall towards the room of the oldest siblings. Fearing the inevitable noise herself she also peered to Lori's room. The voices within were getting louder. Lucy looked to Lincoln for support but instead of receiving his expression she was forcibly pulled to a door across from her's. With how quickly the crowd seemed to be heading to the exit of Lori and Leni's room there was no time to pick and choose where to hide. One of the nearest ones available would have to do. Just as Lucy saw Lana's foot step back into the hallway she was pulled through the door that Lincoln had flung open. Based on the murmurs they could hear when they pressed their ears up against the door after they'd shut it the crowd hadn't noticed them, though their tampering didn't fare as luckily.

"Yeah...they were definitely here..." Lynn muttered.

"How can you be sure? It just looks like the same jockstrap you wrapped around it for if they tried to get in," Lana's voice asked.

"Girl, I know my jockstraps," Lynn spat, "And that...that one's been messed with." Muttering something under his breath, Lincoln turned and put his back against the door. He hung his head as he slid down it to the floor.

"Groan, Lincoln...sigh..." Lucy murmured as she did the same until her head came to rest on his shoulder.

"Don't worry...this is just a little...setback..." he sighed running a hand through his hair, "There's other rooms with dresses and-"

"That are black?" Lucy scoffed. Lincoln twisted his mouth to the side in defeat. She did have a point there. "Besides...how are we going to get to things with them all scowering the halls now? Their numbers keep growing. Who knows where dad is and the others will rip us to shreds...we can't...how are-"

"Hey..." Lincoln said wrapping his arm around her shoulders, "...it's okay...it'll be alright..." In worry and frustration, Lucy lowered her head further towards his chest and rubbed her face into it. Her anxiousness may have been skyrocketing, but his cradle provided an unmatched level of comfort. They may not have known how they were going to get a dress for her, hell they didn't know how they were even get out of the house, but as long as he was there all of those fears were able to be pushed to a distance for the girl.

"As much as I'd love for you two to fuck up another of my experiments, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave," a more saliva-filled voice requested causing the two to jump. Looking towards the interior of the room, Lucy could see just where they'd ended up. Towards the back wall of it stood Lisa cranking some knobs and levers as she flipped through portals to other universes at the terminal she'd operated when they'd been flung into that other world days before. The older girl winced at the memories of the accident. The young inventor may not have given them any visual attention, but the room's other inhabitant happily shook her rattle at them from her crib.

"Sorry Lisa we're...kind of in a jam right now," Lincoln apologized. He'd practically forgotten about the young Loud in their chase through the house. Thankfully she seemed to be amongst the ones that posed no problem to them.

"Well if you would kindly take that "jam" elsewhere," the genius reiterated, "I'm still trying to find just where you dolts ended up that day and I need to focus." In the ramblings of the young girl's disservice to them, both intruders had been looking around the room. Once they'd moved their attention past the happy baby that'd been goo-gooing greetings to them their mood began to shift. They may not have realized it, but the room they had stumbled into...held quite a bit of potential assistance compared to most other rooms. Sure there were objects they could throw or hit someone with all over the house, but no other room contained as sophisticated of machinery as the one they now huddled inside of.

"Well we'd be happy to leave if we weren't in danger of getting killed or anything..." Lincoln murmured.

"Not that we mind death..." Lucy added earning her a jab from Lincoln's elbow.

"Oh, trust me, you'll have LOADS of fun," Lisa muttered recounting the fetal position the other sisters had had her in that night.

"Or...you could lend us a hand..." Lincoln suggested popping up next to her. She turned to the side but that only resulted in staring into Lucy's own unsettling grin.

"Gee, you two sure like getting help," she scoffed, "That day off wasn't enough for ya?"

"Lees, we're about to get killed out there," Lincoln stated. Rolling her eyes, she shrugged her older siblings' arms off of her and returned to her fiddling at the terminal. Disheartened, Lincoln's gaze dropped to the table at the center of the room. Scattered across it were all forms of knickknacks and doodads, but none of them were available to them. And even if they were, it's not like he or Lucy knew anything about how to operate such equipment. There had to be something lying around though that would be simple enough to understand the controls for. Desperately his view continued to scan the room until eventually it came to rest on the portal. That swirling vortex of color that had pulled Lucy and himself into that other terrifying world. That's what Lisa was after...but how could that work in their favor?

"Why are you even looking for that world?" Lincoln wondered aloud.

"Because Mr. Forget-The-Camera, you didn't get any footage," Lisa sighed, "And it would be nice to get a view of it, especially since it's one that was so adamantly affected by our own."

"Well if we'd known you'd want a way back we could have probably gotten that world's coordinates from their Lisa," Lucy theorized, "she only gave us the one to ours on the wristband she gave us." Lisa's eyelids lifted as her tinkering stopped. Lucy and Lincoln took a look at each other and stepped back in fright. Having completely forgotten to mention the wristband the other Lisa had given them when they'd left that world they had no idea how their one was going to react to the withholding of such information from her, nor what she would think of for their "error" of not asking for the coordinates to that world.

"...you...have something...from that world?..." Lisa asked slowly. Lincoln bit his lip as he looked to Lucy but the girl shrugged. It's not like they could really hide the forgotten object's existence now if it were a problem. Slowly Lincoln nodded his head. For a few seconds he didn't know whether to back up more or not. Lisa just stared at him, but eventually a large smile grew. "Oh thank the lord!" she cried, "if you give that to me I can just decompile the thing and-"

"Whoa whoa whoa there Einstein," Lincoln said putting his hand out to the excited toddler, "You think we're just gonna waltz down to my room and get it? We need protection out there. Now you got anything to help us out or are we gonna die before we can get it to ya?"

"Do I have "things to help you out" he asks," Lisa laughed. The short Loud hopped off her terminal and skittered over to the table Lincoln had been inspecting earlier as her mood completely reversed from when they'd entered. As Lucy and him approached, Lisa lifted a remote control from the various objects littering the table's surface and pressed a few buttons on it. Almost immediately the room tingled with a light rumble. Any worries that the guests might have had of the siblings outside hearing the noise were soon quelled by the reveal of the device that the quakes heralded. Lincoln and Lucy took a step back as the bipedal machine lurched forward from its shadowy corner of the room as Lily clapped at it. Standing before them was a humanoid robot about six feet tall with quite a wide chest. Where two tentacle-sprouting spheres should have been instead dangled wide mechanical arms, though the monitor-faced "head" still remained.

"You like?" Lisa said smartly, "introducing the Assistant-Bot 7800!" Lincoln gulped staring into the reflective surface of the blackened monitor that watched them. "Turns out I probably should've just kept working til I got to this design for it," Lisa explained walking over to her desk and picking up some parts from the model she'd sent to help rebuild the school earlier in the week, "That 5200 one was a piece of crap." Uneasily, Lincoln gave the hulking figure a smile. Once Lucy had gotten done inspecting the finer details of its metal plating she noticed her brother's expression and looked back to the robot.

"...you okay?" she asked.

"J-just some...bad memories..." he murmured, "I mean the last time it got hacked and-"

"Oh don't worry, I built in precautions for if that ever happened again," Lisa assured them. Lucy and Lincoln gave each other a suspicious glance, but they were in no position to complain. After all, how could they refuse a giant mechanical bodyguard with the assailants that lurked outside? "So about that wristband..." the short girl inquired.

"Well first we're gonna need to make some pitstops," Lincoln told her, "think that it can manage to get through say...four other sisters in the hall?" The question nearly had the young scientist rolling on the floor with laughter.

"Manage them?" she chortled, "Lincoln it can destroy them. You've got nothing to worry about as long as you just tell it to protect you." Lincoln and Lucy's pursed lips spread into wide grins. With their nervousness of the machine evaporating from the claim, they put their hands on their hips and turned their beaming faces towards its monitor.

"Hey Assistant-Bot," Lincoln called. The screen turned to him. "Protect us and take us to Lucy's room to get a dress," he requested. With a nod, the robot put its arms forward. Lincoln felt a wave of sheer terror wash over him as it wrapped its fingers around him, but the lift he was given was surprisingly delicate. The ease with which he was hoisted to its shoulder filled him with a sense of excitement and security and as he looked to the girl that was put on the other one he knew that she shared the same glee of confidence that he did. They had found their answer. Gripping the entity's head they readied themselves as the plates of its chest unfolded to reveal some sort of cannon-like device. Lisa's brows fell to her eyelids as the object began to heat up and light the wall in front of them to make an entrance wide enough for it to get into the hall.

"...eh it's a small price to pay for science," Lisa shrugged. She could probably get the damaged infrastructure repaired by the end of the night.

* * *

"I'm telling you, it came from this side of the hallway," Lana grumbled, "Now all we gotta do is look through every room and eventually we're going to-"

"Whoa, hold it squirt...you hear that?" Lynn asked cupping a hand to her ear. The younger girl narrowed her eyes as she concentrated. It was low, but she could definitely pick up some sort of frequency that was building. And it was coming from the side of the hallway she'd been directing them towards.

"It's a good thing those brats weren't in my room," Lori grumbled as she finally made her way back into the hall after searching her quarters, "They're already dead when I find em, but they'd be even more dead if they messed my shit up."

"Not that our actual intruder was much better," Leni commented as she joined her roommate in the hallway. Looking back she glared as Luan's doll winked at her.

"Girls, I'll be right back to help with search, but the food almost burned. I gotta take care of things down here first," their dad's voice called.

"As long as it's cooked. I'm starved," Lola called back. Lori couldn't believe the sight before her. She may have been as invested as they in their attempts to catch the white and black-haired members of the family, but their choice of "weaponry" was not all comforting. Homemade flash grenades? Garlick Gun? A fucking knife? She couldn't believe the absurdity that the younger girls had been hunting their targets with. Lincoln and Lucy may have needed to be dealt with, but whatever they believed their ordeals to be was just ridiculous based on what they were using to attack them with. Whatever that agenda was though they had to find out, and for that the most logical step to take would be a partnership.

"Alright you lot, listen up," Lori announced, "I don't know why you morons have decided to go Guerrilla Warfare on Lincoln and Lucy, but if we're gonna find them we have to work as a team. Now I know that-"

"Lori shut up!" Lana hissed. The older girl blinked a couple of times before bending the brows into a glare.

"I'm sorry, but like you literally have no right to-"

"LORI!" Lana said a bit louder. The older girl was about to give another retort, but something inside of her decided it was best to follow the order once both Lana and Lynn had put their fingers to their mouths. Curious as to the cause of their actions, Lori focused her ears and listened. Almost immediately she could pick up the hum from the other side of the wall in front of them. "Can't you hear it?" Lana asked.

"Hear it?...I can feel it..." she murmured quietly. As the wall before them began to glow and turn bright red they jumped. Lori may not have known just what it was that was on the other side, but she knew who's room was in front of them, and what danger looked like. "MOVE!" Lori screamed. Partly startled by the suddenness of the command, Lynn and Lana jumped to the side that Lori just as the wall before them cracked. The sound of rushing wind and tinkering debris wafted across the residents of the hall from the force of the blast that shattered the wall separating the hallway from Lisa's room. Lynn hacked up a good chunk of drywall while Lana waved streams of burnt air out of her face. From where Lori had landed, she propped herself up by her elbow and looked back to see a sleek shiny metal structure jut out from the hole that had been made and land on the floor before her. A set of whirring noises sounded from the hip joint of the machine as its body emerged and dragged its other foot through the smoke the billowed out from the hole. Through the plumes that had begun to fade, the three sisters that weren't on Lori's side could make out the grins of the boy and girl that sat atop the mechanical being's shoulders and took a step back.

"I knew Lisa was on their side!" Lola growled, "And after I'd promised her time off in working on the Pagaent Judging equipment to get those goggles!" Lana and Lynn however held more cautious demeanor towards the appearance of such imposition.

"Dear Lucy, I do believe that we have very little left standing in our way," Lincoln commented. His emotionless voice sent shivers up the group's spines. With the smirk he beamed down at them it was like he'd become an imitation of the sister that clung to the other side of the robot's head. Lana's eyes widened. It was exactly how he'd acted that last Friday night! Even Lola's sturdiness faltered under the repeat of her own experiences with the jarring personality switch.

"It certainly seems like that," Lucy nodded just as happily. Their former predators bounced backwards as the robot took another step towards them. Whether by the quaking of the second floor or the responsibility of sustenance, their father pulled his head out from the opening to the kitchen downstairs.

"Kids! I got things under control down here! The food's saved! It'll be ready in about three minutes!" he hollered.

"Thanks dad!" everyone called back cheerfully before returning to their previous positions of threat and fear. But Lynn wasn't one to show fear. Pushing resistance against her body's reaction, Lynn pulled her bat into view and charged at the machine. Before either Lana or Lola had time to realize what the older girl was doing the robot turned its body and smacked its outstretched hand into her slamming her against the wall. Lynn groaned from where she fell to the floor as the machine took a step and smashed her weapon under its foot. With their most lethal attacker dispatched Lincoln and Lucy shook with excitement as they looked at each other. But Lynn wasn't the only one that'd refused failure. Spurred by the defeat of her longer-running partner, Lana let out a war cry and began firing at the metal figure. Unfortunately for her her ammunition did little other than coat the thing's legs in a new aroma. The type of shots didn't register to the machine's analysis programs however. All it could tell was something was shooting at it, and with the danger that potentially put its passengers in it adjusted the situation to remedy that. Lana's shots came to a stop as she noticed the machine raise the arm that it had smacked Lynn with and her eyes went wide as she heard and saw the hisses of steam shoot out from its wrist. With a scream she leaped to the side to avoid the body-part that shot at her and embedded itself into the door and wall at the end of the hall behind them.

"DUDE! That's my room!" Lincoln cried as the fist reeled back and l clacked into place at the wrist of the robot. Whatever objections the boy might have had fell on deaf audio receptors. What mattered was that it had caused the girl attacking them to drop her firearm. All that remained was the pink one who now just stared in shock at the reversed roles of her and her prey. As the robot took another step forward, Lola pulled out her final flash grenade but the aiming of the being's fist caused her to halt her movements. She just stayed frozen in the fear of the daring machine. All at once Lincoln and Lucy had turned the tables on them and now they were at their mercy. And likely going to have their blood drained for it. At least their fate would have been sealed had another attack not turned the robot's attention away from her. Searching for what had clanged against the thing's back, the Assistant-Bot turned around to see Lori about to chuck another piece of drywall at it. Immediately it reached out and grabbed her. She squirmed and fought against the impossible grip as it lifted her into the air. Lincoln and Lucy's grins fell a bit from the seething glare she gave them. There was no fear to her expression, just anger.

Whatever the Assistant-Bot would have done to dispose of its incapacitated cargo remained a mystery as everyone's attention shifted to the door across the hall from Lori's room which banged open spilling the brown-haired teenagers within onto the floor.

"Luan! Mr. Coconuts was like totally rude to me!" Leni chastised to the girl that rolled around on the floor beneath her roommate, "he thinks it's just fine to like jump right into me when I'm lying down!"

"Just drop it girl!" Luna growled at the comedian she'd pinned to the floor.

"I will not drop it!" Leni said back, "if you had a guy just-"

"Come on! It's not fair!" Luan cried, "You've been hearing what's going on out here! What could they be hiding that's so damn important?!"

"That ain't our business!" Luna yelled. Luan let out a couple of cries as she fought the restraints but it was no use. The rockstar simply had her beat. Her struggling however did point her attention towards other possible means of escape. Spotting the machine that had caused such an explosive ruckus while she and Luna had been fighting each other, Luan grinned. The build may have been different, but the "head" of the machine had remained the same. And she knew full well what the purpose of that "helper" was.

"Hey Assistant-Bot!" she hollered, "Can you help me out?" Even Lincoln and Lucy watched as the machine tilted its "head" forward to look at her. For a moment a pit formed in their stomachs. Had they just lost control of their servant? A newcomer stepping into the battlefield however held much more severe worry for the situation. Lisa tugged at her hair as the Assistant-Bot analyzed the jokester. She hadn't expect Luan, of all people, to make a request during the commotion. The comedian though was ecstatic from the look of worry that her captor gave to the reacting machine. Luan may not have been the most physically empowering member of the family, but her craftiness was unmatched. But to her misfortune, the same manipulation wouldn't work a second time. Once the Assistant-Bot had processed the request an image flashed onto its screen displaying Luan's face before a red circle with a line going through it plastered over it.

"Meddler's interference detected," the machine stated in a mechanical tone startling the siblings gathered around it. None of them had ever heard it talk before. In their surprise, Luan and Luna glanced at each other unsure of just how to respond to the denied request. Based on the way Lisa was freaking out behind it however their worry began to rise. That unease culminated as a series of what appeared to be ammunition-storage units tipped with rocket-launchers and particle beam weaponry sprouted from its back and aimed at the house-clown. "Rectifying issue," it said as the pupils of Luan and Luna's eyes shrunk.

* * *

On the sun-waned Friday evening Girl Jordan kicked her legs from where they dangled on a picnic table next to Flip's convenience store. After two weeks of harrowing defeats at the hands of the Louds she had felt the need to alleviate her senses a bit. It'd taken all of two seconds to decide on getting a Flippee once she'd departed the school grounds. They may have been cheap, but for the children of that community it was a holy grail of delight, especially after such devastating wipeouts. She'd tried to distance herself from the thoughts of that white-haired boy, but he stuck in her head like a sting from a bee. That look of glee as he knocked her out of the race. Her slurping become more ferocious as she dwelled on the image. That should have been her doing that to him! Just as she began to feel the pricks of the frozen beverage tickling her brain, Girl Jordan eased her sucking and took a breath in through her nostrils to try and calm the oncoming freeze.

"You'll get me back for this at gym!" the words repeated in her mind. Oh, she absolutely would. The ends of her mouth curled with thoughts of revenge. She could see the boy now, crawling to get away from the next attack after the first dodgeball had knocked his feet out from under him. That day...that would be glorious. Excitement overtaking her, Girl Jordan took another sip of the Flippee. To his credit Lincoln seemed to have improved. That time away from school felt as though it'd heightened his abilities with how effectively he and his sister had taken her out in that race a few hours back. Not to mention the antics they'd been up to when the school itself had been transformed earlier in the week. Her sipping slowed back down from the vague memories of the incident. As with her classmates, the details of the incident had faded, but the general idea still clung to her head. And she did remember that rather dashing look that Lincoln had had when he'd saved her. She blushed as she almost accidentally inhaled some of her drink. Sure he may have caused some irritation, but even Stella had to admit some appeal for him. If nothing else the wild occurrences he and his family could cause were always a ride to get wrapped up in.

Girl Jordan's eyes twitched as she felt a sting crawl up behind her eyeballs. Groaning, she put her drink on the table and clutched the sides of her head. Apparently that last sudden suck had been just enough to ignite the brain freeze she'd been hoping to avoid. Seething some manner of words, she rubbed her temples. The mind-splitting headache was yet another travesty she could attribute to that freckle-faced boy. That chip-toothed go-getter. Her anger may have bubbled at the thoughts of her defeats, but the more she hung on his taunting face, the further distanced her headache seemed to become until eventually it dissipated entirely. With a sigh, Girl Jordan shook her head and picked the Flippee back up. She stopped before it touched her lips to contemplate how sensible delving back into it might be after her cranial dilemma, but the call of the sugar was too much. To her surprise it didn't take long for her to stop drinking once she'd started though. Not from having emptied its contents or from the threat of another brain-freeze. No, her stop came from an outside intrusion. Her body rattled lightly as what sounded like a distant explosion could be heard. Alongside a few kids that were making their way to the sidewalk, she looked to the sky to see a small stream of smoke billowing from some unseen building beyond those that blocked its view a bit of a ways off. From the location it drifted from she had a pretty good idea of what family had caused it.

"Meh...I'll stay out of that one..." she shrugged getting back to her drink.

* * *

Through the smoggy black smoke and particles of wood and plaster Lincoln Loud fell, his screams muted by the rush of noise that had encompassed the family members that had been standing in the path of the Assistant-Bot 7800. The length of the decent felt as though it drifted by in slow-motion. For what felt like tens of seconds his eyes swerved around to get a better look at the falling objects that surrounded him. His head reacted just quickly enough to pull to the side for a better examination. As the smoke began to swathe away he could make out the bodies of two older sisters clinging to each other in the distance. Looking to his other side, amidst the shattered pieces of the Assistant-Bot's upper torso Lucy dropped with Lori not too far behind her. Lincoln barely had time to turn his head frontwards again before his body began to curl. By the time he hit the ground below it had bent just enough to roll across the soft grass of the front yard.

Knowing the hail that would follow, the boy looked upwards and rolled out of the way in time to avoid the main portion of the ruined robot smashing into where he'd landed. A few planks of wood clattered around him as Luan and Luna bounced across the ground in a tight embrace a few feet to the side. As quickly as he could, he snapped his head towards where he'd predicted Lucy would land and to his relief her static grip on the forearm of the shoulder she'd been seated on had dulled her blow enough that she seemed rather unharmed in her landing. Likewise, Lori was already attempting to remove herself from the cushion that the grip of the machine's hand had given her impact. Lincoln however wobbled to his feet for a different reason. His suit. Seemingly undamaged, it lay limp in the dusk-drenched grass of the Loud House's front yard. Taking note of the same object, Lucy fell from her perch once it'd stopped spinning and joined her brother in a dash for the clothing item. Their unacquired dress for Lucy was forgotten in their race. All that mattered with the incapacitated participants around them was getting back the suit that'd been separated from them in that moment. Even with the calamity they had just endured, the two couldn't help but smile at each other as they neared the suit. And then they were pulled back.

"HEY!" Lincoln yelped as he was yanked into the air.

"Lincoln! Lincoln!" Lucy cried emotionlessly while she flailed about trying to reach for her brother. The pair panicked and squirmed for only a few moments in the positions Lori's freed grip suspended them in. With how far apart they were held from each other and from the body of the one that dangled them, neither Lucy nor Lincoln could make any swipe at the oldest of the Loud siblings. They could only watch in utter terror as the rest of the family that hadn't been ejected from the house in the Assistant-Bot's explosive denial of Luan's request filed out into the yard.

"Good going Lori!" Lana cheered as she cocked her gun.

"Yeah, just hold em like that!" Lynn growled approaching with the end of her bat that still had the knife attached to it.

"Lynn, put that away," Lori ordered. The younger teen blinked at her in confusion.

"Okay, I know you're new to this whole thing, but those two are-hey!"

"I was looking for this!" their father said as he glared at his namesake.

"Dad, you don't understand! We finally have them!" Lana whined as she shot off a squirt of the garlic juice from her gun. Lucy pulled her body upwards in fright allowing it to pass by where her body had been. "If we can't make them see reason then we don't have much choice!" she exclaimed. The dad just looked at the group in confusion.

"Oh my god! What happened to the house?!" his wife's voice asked. Lynn Sr. spun around in fright as Rita emerged from the garage to see what the noise had been about.

"Well if dad would give us back the knife then we could finish this whole business and explain it to you," Lola scoffed.

"Knife?" Rita blinked. Her brows lifted as she noticed the kitchenware that was strapped to what remained of Lynn Jr.'s bat. "...what's going on here?..."

"That is what I would like to know," Lori spat. Lincoln and Lucy cringed as the oldest Loud sister held them to either side of her face and flipped her scowl between them, "How's about you tell EVERYBODY here what you two have been up to this past week?" Their expressions only worsened as they noticed the eyes of the other family members zeroing in on them. Even Luna held a reluctant interest as she and Luan approached, unable to defend the pair of younger Louds under such an overwhelming crowd.

"What they're doing is trying to take over Royal Woods," Lana declared. Everyone but her two comrades looked to her with just as much confusion as Rita had had when she'd joined the party. Lola would have rather not have chipped in, but Lana and Lynn's prior influence forced her to remain steady in her position. "We've been gathering evidence," Lana continued, "And once we saw the way Lincoln's acted all emotionless throughout the last week at times and how he kissed her hand it was obvious." Lori shook her head at the information and gave a gawking glower to her captives. Lincoln and Lucy practically jumped at the dispelled information. How she had any knowledge of their more intricate practices they had no idea.

"They're vampires," Lynn concluded. Lucy and Lincoln shared their own stupefied expression. "All emo and crap," Lynn nodded, "and who else but the mafia kisses the hand of a leader like that? Obviously she's the ringleader of some vampire gang and getting him ready to help with the infection of the town. And then, bam. There goes the neighborhood." Though blushing at how ludicrous the claim sounded, Lola nodded in agreement. Lincoln could only continue in his disbelieving baffled look at them. His view changed to that of the girl held up next to him as shuffling noises from her caught his ears.

"What are you doing?" he hissed spotting the pad that Lucy had seemingly materialized and begun writing on.

"Just getting this down," she replied. Upon recording the final bits of the trio's "idea", Lucy pocketed the information for future reference. The rest of the attendees viewed the group of hunters with even more varying degrees of uncertainty.

"...you LITERALLY think they're vampires?" Lori mumbled in disbelief.

"Hey, we don't wanna have to do this. They're our brother and sister. But we can't just let them roam about draining the life out of people!" Lynn shot back, "We need to get them before they become a threat!" Luna and Luan exchanged a suspicious look. Even the rockstar would have been lying if she were to say her interest in the mystery wasn't growing.

"Sigh, Lynn, we're not vampires," Lucy grumbled, "If we were do you think we'd have been caught so easily?"

"That was EASY?!" Lincoln gaped.

"Oh, don't worry, I know you aren't vampires," Lori muttered pulling them up to her eye-level again, "So how's about you explain this kissing-the-hand, constantly whispering to each other, and doing-everything-together shit then?" Lincoln and Lucy gulped.

"Oh they're vampires!" Lana growled taking aim with her gun, "And we are going to stop them!"

"Is that my firearm?" Lisa asked in annoyance.

"Brat, if you don't aim that away from me in literally five seconds-"

"Did I miss the Martians?" Leni asked cutting off her roommate as she finally found her way outside and picked up Lincoln's outfit.

"We need to save Royal Woods!" Lynn insisted.

"Just hand em over!" Lola screeched.

"The food is ready!" their father yelled.

"What are you two doing?!" Lori screamed at her captives.

"Goo goo gaga!"

"We're going to a dance!" Lucy said as loudly as her vocal chords would let her. She may not have had nearly the range that the rest of the family had when it came to noise, but when she spoke any octave higher than normal people tended to listen, and with their focus on the two siblings that dangled from Lori's hands the others' voices silenced once they'd noticed her's about to spill out. Lincoln opened his mouth in a mixture of concern and shock, but with the information revealed he could do nothing but look to the ground in dismay.

"...say what?" Lana asked after a moment of silence. The entire family inched away in some capacity from the unexpectedness of the information and even Mr. Grouse choked on the popcorn he'd been eating as he watched the scene from his upstairs window. The response had been nothing that any of the family members had been expecting. While some of the more invested participants did have their skepticism about the odd claim, their suspiciousness had to fold when they saw the surprising look of discontent that Lincoln gave the ground. Whatever anys' thoughts were of the issue that the two odd Louds had been conspiring for paled in comparison to the baffling supposed truth. If they had been making up an excuse, even Lily had to give a surprised head-tilt. Their faces and postures however lent credence to Lucy's reluctant confession. There were no more signs of resistance from them. They were defeated.

"...hold up hold up hold up!" Lynn exclaimed as she approached their dangling figures, "The fuck do you mean? What "dance"? No! This-...this is just some...trick!" In her desperation she looked the captured children over, but the only signs they gave were those of embarrassment and disapproval. Lincoln shifted his eyes away once her's had moved to his. If they weren't telling the truth, they clearly believed that they were. As realization set in Lynn backed away from the revelation that faced her. "But-...wha-...DANCE?! What are you talking about? What about the whispering to each other? The sneaking around together? The creepy Lincoln crap? The-"

"It was us getting me trained..." Lincoln grumbled. Various siblings looked to each other for answers, but all they could do was wait for more information. The only one seeming to content in the revelations was the sibling that held them above the ground.

"Trained to be a vampire...right?..." Lana suggested hoping for at least some confirmation to her suspicions. Lincoln gave her an incredulous look and opened his mouth, but before he could speak Lucy's own face caught his eye. It hung with regret and shame. For many it was difficult to read a person without seeing their eyes, but given how close they'd become over the past two weeks Lincoln could see the blatant discomfort on face towards his near reveal of his role in their agenda. She wouldn't have blamed him or held it against him to make something up. He knew that. But their secret was out and with their confession his simplest option was the most honest one, no matter what awkwardness it brought.

"Training to...be her...um..." Lincoln murmured. Nervously he poked his index fingers together. "...boyfriend..." An ominous spell of shocked silence swept over the family. While some of the siblings jumped at the word, only one made substantial movement. As the others processed Lincoln's faction of the information, Luan broke into a mad dash for the front door of the house. The most offended members of the family were the two original ones that had taken to hunting them. Lynn looked the two over in awestruck disgust as she backed up to her former comrades while Lana viewed them with disbelief. She may have taken some astonishment to their proposed dealings, but she sagged more with the disbelief that her investigation, her entire reason for pursuing them, had been completely disproven. Even Hopps popped out from her pocket to give the pair a face of disturbed fascination. Lola took a step away from her "comrades" to try and distance herself from the red-handed conspirators, but she still made sure to reserve a portion of shock for their brother and the goth that swayed in the breeze that swept past them. One of the only ones that didn't seem to double back from the surprise was Lori who glared at the two. As parents looked to each other in the bizarreness of the sudden ordeal that family had become wrapped up in, Luan darted past them and took a sip from the glass of water she'd gotten as she bounced back into place next to Luna before spitting the shocked mouthful into her recovering face.

"You two...are going...on a date?..." Lynn asked. Her skin shuddered from the discomfort that enveloped the group, though the faces of the interrogated youths simply went red.

"Well-n-not an actual one. Obviously!" Lincoln sputtered. Irritated by the pestering, he struggled until Lori finally dropped him and Lucy to the ground. "Sigh. She's just been training me to be her boyfriend for this upcoming ball because we're trying to make this other goth guy there jealous so that HE will go after her," Lincoln explained as he dusted his shirt off, "Once that's done it's over." Lucy straightened herself out as well, though she looked to the boy as he spoke that last sentence. She knew he didn't mean that it would be the termination of their relationship, but for some reason it...swam a sense of unpleasantness through her throat. The few other sisters that had processed the information however had begun to develop rather different faces. Even with their lips bit, a number of them couldn't help but burst out into laughter. The intent of their "intimacy" had alleviated most of the disturbed assumptions that their family had had, but also contained an extra effect. As with any love-fueled "quest" by a sibling, most of the others had felt the need to give their reaction to what they perceived to be a rather dubious operation. Lucy and Lincoln may have held a bit of surprise from the sudden bouts of hilarity, but their mocked union urged them more to slink up against each other in embarrassed support.

"Y-you think...that you can just win a boy over like that?..." Lola laughed hysterically, "THAT is why you've gone all "Creep"lin the last few days?"

"I might have had trouble with Benny, but at least I didn't fall "fangs" over "wings" for my brother to get him!" Luan joked.

"Hahaha! You guys are funny!" Leni stated pointing at the reddened "couple". The entire group gave her a disappointed glower from the underwhelming remark, though if Leni realized the dissatisfaction she sure didn't show it. Shaking her head at the dimwitted blond, Lola stepped forward.

"Darling, if you wanted help on bagging a boy, all you had to do was ask. Now come on, let me show you-"

"NO!" Lucy snapped. Lola instantly fell backwards from the rejection. Seeking his support, Lucy curled up against Lincoln's body. His skin may have pricked with anxiousness from the stares that surrounded them, but he held his arm around the smaller girl's body. "No..." she repeated more quietly, "I remember full well how your guys' help with Rocky turned out. The ONLY one that actually helped was Lincoln. He's the one that set things up for me and him. ANY time you all try to help with a crush it just goes up in flames. Even he did a lot better when we all just told him to be himself when he met Stella." Blushing, Lincoln smiled down at the pale girl, an expression that she returned. "I'm...fine with...him..." she said. A number of the girls felt some degree of offense to the accusations, but as they thought about it they realized there truly wasn't much they could argue against given their track record.

"Aw..." an older female voice cooed. The group turned in surprise to the previously quieted parents to see their father brimming with tears while their mother clasped her hands together. "Honey g-get the camera," she stuttered, "Lucy-"

"Lucy's going on a date!" Lynn Sr. finished giddily as spun around and tore back to the house for the piece of requested equipment.

"Well not a real-...date, but...mmm..." Lincoln couldn't help but smile under the joy of their parents as he looked down at Lucy. While Lynn still held wariness to the proposition, most of the other faces around them had started to soften once their goal had been stated. As Lola got up to begin dusting her dress off however, the two viewing the looks dripped towards a less pleasant expression. Lucy and Lincoln hadn't expected the unparalleled sense of relief that came with the truth that had been forced out of them, but at the same time while the two had felt an unusual amount of eagerness for the notions of the fake "courting" once the family laid their ears on it, another problem presented itself. And it was a problem that seemed to end the notion entirely. Actually "going" on the "date". "...will we even make it at this point?" Lincoln sighed. The ambition fleeted as he fell to the ground to sit. Though she wanted to encourage some hope for their predicament, Lucy had nothing to give herself. The hand she put to his back lent some hollow support, but she took her spot next to him just as sadly.

"It won't be long before the bus that would take us out towards the woods gets here...there's no way we can get cleaned up and pick stuff out for me to wear in time with all that's happened..." she admitted rubbing her cheek against his, "...SIGH...I'm sorry Lincoln...I had looked forward to this night for so long..."

"Me too..." he sighed. He looked at her too late to catch his wording and instead joined in her accepting blush. "Y-ya know...cause you kind of got me real interested in helping you and all that it's...well...hehe...heh...sigh..." he murmured. As soon as his stammered elaboration faded so too did his lighter demeanor. In their misery, Lincoln wrapped his arm around Lucy and they tilted their heads to the ground. Even Lori had to feel some resentment towards their denied efforts. Everything they'd done, their entire two weeks of endeavors and training had all just ended in failure. All they could do was sit staring as their preset goals slapped them in the face and drove off into the night. The father of the family was surprised to see such depressed expressions upon his return. There was no way that he could snap a good picture of the "lucky couple" with the way they sat. As the seconds passed towards that ever approaching limit to their unreachable departure, the sisters around them began to join in their sorrow. One by one they realized just what they had done. Though most still would have appreciated some insight towards the conspiring that Lincoln and Lucy had thought they'd been keeping secret, a wave of remorse was impossible to rebuff from the guilt-ridden siblings. Lincoln and Lucy may have unnerved the more studious members with their growing closeness, but they had struck the couple on the night that those two had been working towards. And, for however deserving their pursuers might have felt retribution was towards their insurrecting agenda, their remorse for the situation that they'd unknowingly escalated burned with consideration until one of them stepped forward.

"It's not time for the dance yet is it?" Lana asked meekly. She almost couldn't talk with how choked her voice was given her instigation towards the events of that night.

"Sigh, it wouldn't matter," Lucy told her, "There's no way we're gonna be ready in time."

"Not with that attitude you won't," Luna told them, "How much time you got?" Lincoln and Lucy blinked and looked to each other. Were...they actually...encouraging them?...after all that had just happened?

"...p-...probably...fifteen minutes?..." Lucy murmured.

"That should be ample time," Lisa concluded. Lincoln and Lucy lifted their brows as they looked around the ring of family, each second that passed painting another's face with a smile. No matter how forced some of the expressions may have been, all of the ones looking back at them offered their support to the delayed mission.

"Yeah, don't get all "broken hearted" because of us," Luan laughed hoisting one of the Assistant-bot's dismembered fists into the air, "We can still lend a "hand"!"

"B-...but you guys just-"

"Hey it ain't our fault you two looked like you were gonna destroy the entire town," Lynn huffed cutting Lincoln off as she hoisted him and Lucy to their feet, "But since you got this whole thing goin' on and with the misunderstanding it turned out to be...well bro you ain't got much options other than to accept our help if you wanna get ready in time." Her roommate and her brother couldn't believe what they were hearing. Even their most vicious attackers were offering aide to them, and it was true. Under the circumstances they truly did have no choice. In disbelieving relief, they relented and nodded to their family. There was still hope. It was small, probably even a fraction of a sliver. But it was hope. With the devastation concluded the rekindled family made their way back to the front door of the house to begin to repair the setback that had been caused to Lincoln and Lucy's agenda. And as Mr. Grouse wiped tears from his eyes from where he'd been watching, the only unenthusiastic sister lagged behind in the yard a few moments more. Though slightly alleviated to have gotten answers, her concerned gaze still watched under the emerging moon as the brother and sister she'd worked so hard to apprehend entered the house. Hand-in-hand.

* * *

"So...when were you gonna tell me about the bus we were supposed to take?..." Lincoln murmured out of the side of his mouth.

"Sigh, Lincoln I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting we'd have to fight a god damn war against the entire house," Lucy grumbled, "if everything had gone as it should have we'd have been ready in no time and I would've let you know as we were preparing. Just didn't think it was that important until just now."

"...you know you can say you just forgot about it," Lincoln smirked. Blushing, Lucy shot him a glare.

"Exasperated groan, Lincoln, do you honestly think I'd forget about something so mino-"

"You forgot about the dress," he reminded. He spared himself the look of her embarrassed visage as his eyes rolled towards the mirror in the bathroom to view his own expression of continued victory. "Though it won't matter at all if those girls don't get to work on us," he admitted in annoyance as he looked around, "I mean you said we only had about fifteen minutes out there. How exactly do they intend to "freshen us up" after all that in this amount of time-"

"Like this," a more confident voice answered. Lincoln and Lucy let out yelps of surprise as they were hoisted into the air by their collars. In an impossible gesture, Lynn snapped the clothing downward and jerked it up again. The resulting momentum ejected her two younger siblings right out of the confines of their clothes leaving them blushing in shocked mortification. Once they'd realized what had happened they threw their limbs across their undressed bodies. Lynn however had little interest in waiting for them to recover. As soon as she'd tossed their clothes to the side she put a hand to each of their backs and shoved them forward toppling them through the curtains of the shower and straight into the warm tub that had been prepared for them. The first to emerge was Lincoln who gasped for dear life at the air he'd broken into but within seconds his head was shoved back beneath the surface. In his time below Lucy managed to make her own verbal "gasp" as she attempted an escape from the suffocation only to be met with a similar fate. The process of emerging and being shoved back down continued for what felt like hours in their struggle to stay alive as Lynn coated their bodies with all manners of shampoo, soap, and conditioners between their breaches of the water. By the time they were finally allowed to explode out across the arm of the bathtub Lincoln and Lucy gaped and wheezed gulping as hard as possible to yank air down into their shriveling lungs.

"You two," Lynn commented wrapping their younger bodies in a pile of towels and dragging them towards the door, "Really need take some breathing exercises. If this were the gym you'd have hell on the strokes in the pool."

"Well we're not at the gym! We're attt-AHHHH!" Lincoln cried as Lynn put them to either side of her and spun him and Lucy each into one of the two rooms surrounding the bathroom. He was unsure if his lunch was still in his stomach when he landed rather roughly in the chair that'd been set up for him in Luan and Luna's room. "W-wha...wha?..." he mumbled as his eyes spun in their sockets.

"Dude, ya with us?" Luna asked. After a few more snaps of her fingers in front of his eyes they readjusted their positioning and he shook his face to recompose himself.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" he yelled.

"The spin dry cycle!" Luan winked earning her a distasteful look from their patient, "Aw, now cheer up! Oh wait, actually, don't. Your girl wouldn't like that. She's pretty "batty" after all!" Along with the usual irritation that the "comedian" brought, Lincoln also lowered his face to his hands to hide the teased nervousness of the fun she poked at his and Lucy's "relationship".

"Brah, look this way," Luna ordered. Ignoring whatever cooperation he might have given, she grabbed his jaw and began looking his face over. "Uh huh...uh huh..." she nodded. Every so often she'd slick down a strand of his hair or rub off some soap that remained from Lynn's primal cleaning methods. Out of the corner of his eye he could just barely make out Leni tending to the cleaning of his outfit in the corner of the room. Once Luna had jerked his face to the other side he could see Lana leaning against the wall of that side of the room. Realizing she had his attention, the younger girl rubbed her arm and stepped forward.

"Hey uh..." she coughed and kicked the ground, "Just wanted to say mmm...ya know...sorry about the whole-"

"Trying to murder us thing?" he murmured through the fingers that gripped his jaw. Lana's cheeks reddened as she looked to the side. "...eh, we should be used to that by now this week," he shrugged. Lana stared at his dulled expression for a few seconds before it turned into a more lighthearted one. It may have held some resentment towards the stalling that he and Lucy had had to endure from their pursuit, but it was more accepting towards her than she'd have expected after her role in the assault. Finished with her inspection, Luna pulled Lincoln's head back to face her. He let out a gruff exhale as she plopped a black punkish wig down on his head and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Brah, I just wanna tell ya, I-...I'm pretty easy-going," she confessed, "Ya know that love. But this...thing you got. You...Lucy...don't mess it up ya hear?" Lincoln was surprised at the seriousness with which she talked. He could only assume that the "orders" were some sort of joke, but the look on her face said otherwise. "Brah, I ain't dumb. I may not fully know everything you guys have gone through in the past week or so," Luna continued and pushed her face closer to his as she lowered her voice to a whisper, "but I do know she cares about you. A LOT. This may all be an act, but...don't lose what ya got alright?" Pursing his lips, Lincoln swiveled his eyes around for in thought. He might not have understood everything Luna was trying to convey, but he nodded his head. The concern may have seemed silly to him, but he did know he had no intention of harming what he and Lucy had built up. Whatever happened afterwards may have been less within their control, but he would certainly welcome the continuation of his content interactions with Lucy.

The goth however had been receiving just as flustering a rundown as her brother. Within the bustle of the room across the hall from Luna and Luan's, Lucy sat swathed in an apron that had become littered with dark shades of nail polish. She didn't need to turn to see that Leni had been hurriedly filing through various pieces of clothing from the confines of her and Lori's closet in her search for proper dressings for their guest. Had she had more time, Lucy likely would have been beside herself with prideful flustering from the help she'd been receiving. She wasn't used to so much aide being given to her, and so willingly at that. It hadn't been since her sisters' last attempt at helping her woo a boy that she'd had such assistance. But with the company she had, it was hard to display those feelings.

"And so I said to him: Boy, you look DASHING in that get-up. And he said to me: Me? Look at how you fill that dress out. But then-" Lola continued to rattle off as she slicked on more coats to the nails she'd been tending to.

"Uh huh. Oh yes. Quite. Uh huh. You don't say," Lucy repeated on loop to give some form of acknowledgement to the chattering pageant-expert. With how versed she had become in her adequate responses it wasn't hard for Lucy's reluctantly participating mind to wander. She couldn't believe what the others were doing for her and Lincoln. It may have already been too late for their actions to matter, but god damn if they weren't trying. And for all she knew they might actually get them setup in time for their departure. Crazier things had happened with the family in the past. She knew firsthand how quickly they could operate under times of stress and with the right amount of cooperation. Whether or not it'd be enough, her admiration for their turnaround was astounding. Ever since they'd gotten home they'd been hunted, attacked, and literally nearly killed by their sisters, but once things had been set straight they'd fallen to their side. And for however disturbing or amazing that was, that was how the Loud House worked. When push came to shove they helped each other out. It may have take some time to fully adjust to the calamity that had torn through the house on that eve, but in those moments they were allies.

She sighed inwardly as Lola filed off some chips from along the edge of her nails. They may have been lending their assistance now, but her original ally, her...partner...he was being prepped for the oncoming impossible-to-reach event just as she was and she could only imagine what types of pained expression his adorable face must have been making if her treatment was as trying as it was. She hardly noticed herself press her now black-lipsticked lips inward to coat them with a lining of saliva during her latest default response to Lola's gossip. While it was unbelievable to have the help they were now receiving from their mostly former attackers, Lucy knew whom the majority of the credit should go to. She didn't know if Lola noticed her blush as her eyes slid towards the entrance to the room nor did she care. Her care for everything that Lincoln had done, everything that he'd given up and endured to get to this point with her, her...love for him was too great to try to hide. In the flood of Lola's endless talking she paid no attention to the shift in the corner's of Lucy's mouth. The goth knew that her sisters' involvement was necessary now if they wanted any shot at achieving their goals, but Lincoln...he had been there no matter what...he would have been there had their preferred secret been kept as such. It may have been his compliant nature or his own care for her, but whatever the reason he had stayed on course to be her "partner"...to be her...boyfriend...

Lucy's mind snapped back to reality as she noticed clearer objects than normal approaching her. Instinctively she grabbed hold of Lola's wrist to keep her hand from moving the bangs in front of her face any further.

"I-...j-just was gonna...apply some um...eye-eye-...eyeshadow..." Lola grinned innocently. She may not have realized the smile Lucy had had as her ramblings to her patient had gone on but she definitely caught eye of the deepening scowl her mouth now wore.

"Move the hair and you lose the hand," Lucy threatened. Her own mouth shrinking, Lola jerked her hand back and gave her a nervous laugh.

"R-r-...right..." the blond's quivering voice replied, "N-now then...is her dress ready?" Lucy's clenched her teeth together as her chair was spun in place to face the taller blond that occupied the room. Beaming a grin, Leni pulled her handiwork into view.

"Does an orange eat rabies?" she replied. Lola and Lucy didn't even register the nonsensical analogy with the dress that was staring back at them.

Stumbling out of Luna and Luan's room, Lincoln did his best to dust off his returned outfit and slicked the hair of his wig back into place as best as he could. The only thing he couldn't seem to even out was that odd crinkle he felt in his back pant-leg that seemed to have stuck in it from the night before. All things considered he'd been ejected back into the hall more elegantly than he'd anticipated with how fast the operation seemed to be moving. What he wasn't prepared for however was the girl that was shoved back into it with him. Once she'd been thrown back into the corridor he took a step back. His mouth dropped a bit and his eyes went wide. His first scan of her figure was quick and abrupt, but the next few...took their time. Slowly his eyes traveled up and down the clothes that'd been draped around her body. His sensibilities left him under the imposition of the stylings of the same designer that had bestowed him with his own outfit. Lucy's however...it wasn't some workshop on a Halloween costume. Lincoln certainly wouldn't bash what he'd ended up with as it was better than anything he would have gotten at the mall. But Lucy's? The way her shoulder-pieces flared out from the corset-like structuring at the abdomen. The dress that plumed out beneath the waist-piece that it led into. The red detailings and inner dress showing at the bottom of the skirt. The black elegant evening-gloves It was...breathtaking.

"Lincoln?...you alright?" Lucy asked once she realized the boy had no intention of acknowledging her.

"You're...beautiful..." he drawled. Blushing furiously, Lucy cracked her head to the side. No matter how much she might try though, a wide smile spread itself across her reddening face.

"Oh-um-y-y-ya-you a-re t-too..." she replied with as default an answer as she could give. There was no way to think under the crushing pressure of his compliment. As with him though, she soon attempted to rectify her effected state, though her repairs of the fidgets were more due to the oddness of her response as opposed to the boy's one towards his intensive staring. "Er-I mean you're handsome," she coughed before attempting another go, "I-I mean you l-look good. I mean not that y-you aren't h-handsome I-"

"Well I d-didn't m-mean beautiful!" Lincoln blurted attempting to backpedal, "N-not that you aren't! I mean-I-"

"Y-you just-th-that suit! It's um-"

"The dress really makes your features pop and, b-but not that um-"

"-and th-the cuffs-"

"-y-your gloves-" Lincoln stuttered. Realizing the circles they were verbally spinning in, he put a hand up to stop the joint flustering. Lucy took in a breath after seeing Lincoln inhaling his own. Their systems reset from the filtration, they opened their eyes back up. "...let's try this again," he smirked, "Hello. My name is Lincoln Loud."

"Why good evening my dear escort of the night, I am Lucy Loud," she replied holding out her gloved hand. Delicately Lincoln took the appendage in his own. They shared a smile as they felt the syncing reestablish itself between themselves. They would have probably played on their performance a bit longer but with the looming threat of time against them, an arm popped out from behind each of their heads and pried their lips apart.

"Alright Lees! Let em have it!" Lynn hollered. Lincoln and Lucy could hardly tell what was going on with how their upper faces had been tilted towards the ceiling, but the heat that spread forth from their opened mouths hinted at what the targets of the machine that had popped out of Lisa's room were. Lincoln and Lucy flailed about helplessly as the laser that shot at them scraped at any debris that may have clung to their teeth. It only took a few seconds, a far cry from the more studious operations of their mother's line of work. Once it had been done however a lingering sense of heat swam through their mouths while they nursed the cheeks that Lynn let go of.

"All whitened up and ready to go," Lisa informed as her machine hummed down.

"Gee..." Lincoln muttered still rubbing at his face.

"Thanks..." Lucy finished. As they pulled everything back into place, a flurry of hands grabbed at them and forced them towards the stairs which they were soon carried down. They were lucky to have so much assistance to keep them on track, but it would have been nice to have had some sort of breather between the pit-stops. Almost as if to give them one, the sisters that hurried them to the front door deposited them right into a standing position that they seemed to have no intent of interfering with any longer.

"Oh my god, honey come quick. They're ready for their date!" their father said springing up from the couch.

"Oh this is soooo exciting!" their mom added appearing from the doorway to their parents' room. They both held wide toothy grins to the black-cladded children as the father produced a camera from behind his back.

"Mom, dad, it's not a REAL date," Lincoln grumbled smacking his forehead.

"Maybe not, but it is a happy event," Lynn Sr. replied as he lined up his shot, "and any of those we can get for Lucy we need evidence of. Now say "dang it"!" Glancing at each other, Lincoln and Lucy rolled their eyes and put their arms around each other's waist and shoulder.

"Sigh. Dang it," they muttered emotionlessly. The group of siblings at the staircase may have looked on in pride, but the conjoined dullness of the personalities still sent a disturbing wave across them.

"And now one with your natural hair color," their father requested. Giving a more normal sigh, Lincoln slid the fake feature off and positioned himself for another snapshot.

"Awwwww..." Their parents cooed as they doted over the pictures they'd gotten. While the oldest members of the household looked their trophy over, Lincoln pulled his disguise back on and joined Lucy in looking around the room. Neither of them had expected to have been ready to start towards their triumph after the travesties that had threatened their day. Thanks to the chaotic dealings of their siblings however not only were they ready, but they stood at the doorway to their victory more prepared than ever before. Not only were their interactions something that they'd no longer have to worry about keeping hidden, but they were now dressed and cleaned grander than either of them could have hoped to present themselves on their own. With some fraction of remorse, the brother and sister looked over the rest of the siblings present.

"...sigh," Lucy said. She had her issues with offering any satisfaction for the people that had so viciously endangered their cause, but after their speedy recovery of the plans they'd tried to destroy she knew that Lincoln was in agreement that they should have some parting words. "...we're sorry for not letting you guys in on this earlier," she told them, "we just...didn't want you to...ya know..."

"Fuck it up," Lincoln finished with a more direct tone. Lucy gave him an unsure look, but the smile from his painted her's with the same.

"Well that sure didn't stop us," Luan joked. The group murmured with a ripple of laughter, but the unease of their embarrassing reactions towards the perceived threat to the town ensured that the joyous noises didn't last too long before they died down. It wasn't everyday that such a misunderstanding overtook the house. Vying on the memories, Lana coughed and kicked the ground.

"I know I said sorry earlier, but...yeah...I...got a bit...carried away..." she said rubbing the back of her head. Lincoln may have given her a small sympathetic smile, but if Lucy had any bemusement for her she didn't care to display it. Not wanting to the be only one red-handed, Lana elbowed her twin and her taller brown-haired conspirator to get some words from them.

"I don't know why you're dragging me into this. It wasn't my idea," Lola shrugged as she walked off to the side of the group. Lana and Lynn shot her a look of offended disbelief. Since the blond had resigned that though left only the brown-haired member to offer up any repentance. And she did not care to.

"Look, all I'm gonna say is that you guys...you..." Lynn murmured as she tried to keep from looking at the younger kids in front of her. Lucy and Lincoln tilted their heads forward eager to hear what choice of words she had for them. "...ugh! Alright fine I'm sorry," she growled as Lincoln and Lucy slinked back into position with snickers running along their lips. "Oh go ahead and laugh Ms. date-my-own-brother," Lynn spat as she took a threatening step towards them and put a finger up to Lucy's chin, "but I swear, if you hurt him you answer to me. Got it?" The two younger siblings before her shook their heads hesitantly and gave each other a confused glance. Neither of them had any intent of physically abusing the other, but the way Lynn had made the threat made the wording seem more...personal than it should have been.

"But remember, it's a date. Live a little!" Luan added in contrast, "Don't be afraid to "dig" into his "grave" a bit!" Hotly Lucy blushed. They definitely appreciated the help, but the necessary "advice" from the sisters did its best to bring the forgotten awkwardness of their mission back to the surface.

"But if you break her heart!" Lola spat jumping forward and glaring at Lincoln. Fearing some sort of attack from the growling tike, Lincoln put his hands up in front of himself for defense. After a few seconds though the growling lessened to silence leaving just a glaring face to take with him. Again Lucy and Lincoln shared their unease with each other. They had no idea what the extreme mixed signals from the group meant. At least they didn't until the most relaxed of them came forward.

"Brah, you two are goin' on a date," Luna explained putting a hand on her hip, "It may not be an actual one, but it's still a date BETWEEN two of our siblings. We're gonna give both of ya both sides of what comes with that." Lucy and Lincoln rolled their eyes atop the relieved smiles they put on. As if to drive the statement home, Lily waddled forward from where the parents stood and smacked her fist into her hand before giving them a delighted wave. It may have been a ridiculous "ritual", but it did provide them with a surprising sense of care. Lincoln jumped slightly as he felt Luna's hand land on his shoulder. "Remember what I said brah," she told him. He gave an embarrassed grin from the kiss the older sister put on his forehead. Lucy felt a crawl run along her arms at the sight of the motion. "Oh don't get all flustered," the guitarist said having apparently noticed her tense body, "You know the rules. He's our brother. You gotta share." A mad blush glowed from the goth's face as the sisters gathered at the stairs laughed. She feared she may just stay stuck in her embarrassed fixture forever, but the hand Lincoln put to her back helped ease her back to her senses. The others didn't notice the smile that Lucy put to his side in their jovial chuckles.

"Oh I can't believe this!" Rita gasped excitedly as she and her husband fell to the floor hugging the two, "they're going to a dance!"

"Our little kids are-are-are growing up!" Lynn Sr. cried strangling the black-haired girl.

"It's...a...fake...date..." Lincoln reiterated slowly as their siblings' laughter escalated.

"But still a date!" Rita sniffed pulling back to a crouched position over the two.

"And I can't remember the last time I've seen Lucy smile this much!" Lynn Sr. added. Immediately the girl in question tilted her head away from the adults. "Now be sure you stay safe on the way there. Don't talk to any raccoons and only get directions from ghosts if they look trustworthy."

"Sigh, we know dad," Lucy grumbled.

"And Lincoln, be sure to protect her if anything happens," their mom ordered, "And don't worry, I'm sure however it goes you two are going to have a fun time."

"It's about getting that guy for her. Not about having fun," Lincoln reminded.

"Well not with that attitude it's not," their mom smiled at them. Shaking his head he turned to change his attention to the sisters that had helped prepare them for the upcoming event. Most of them had begun to ease off from the laughter. Well...aside from Leni who just seemed stuck on whatever inane detail she thought must have been funny. One sibling that Lincoln's vision held on for longer than most however was the one that had given him advice. Noticing his gaze, Luna shifted her eyes to Lucy and brought them back to him to give him a wink. He didn't know why, but the suggestive action lit up his face a bit which he turned back to their parents to keep from their sisters' gaze.

"Well, this has been fun, and we can't thank you guys enough, but we should really get going," Lincoln said a bit more loudly than he'd intended. Catching onto the urgency of their departure, the group quieted down. The couple hardly had time to react before the whole group congregated on them in a massive hug. After giving their own back to them, Lucy and Lincoln broke out of their grip and reached for the door.

"Have fun!" Leni called after them.

"Knock em dead!" Lynn Jr. said.

"Mind your step in the dances!" Lola told them.

"Don't be afraid to get dirty!" Lana added.

The suggestions and good-byes followed them even as the door began to shut. Luna however just grinned at the hands that the white and black-haired children held. As if to block the voices, Lincoln and Lucy slammed their backs up against the door once it'd shut behind them and they spent a good fifteen seconds giving breaths of relief. The affection they'd been shown had been more welcome than the hostilities they'd been given earlier in the day, but the severity of either was overwhelming.

"What a weird family..." Lincoln sighed. Having caught her own breath, Lucy grinned at him.

"I'll say," another voice commented. Startled, both kids looked to the left of the doorway to see the only sibling that hadn't helped get them ready leaning against the wall. Lori hardly gave signs of amusement to the two in the arm-folded gaze she possessed.

"Oh...h-hey Lori," Lincoln tried to greet, "I know you probably wanna say your goodbyes but we really should get-"

"Nah, the others can do that but all I wanna say is...well..." she murmured. Lincoln and Lucy's faces became cross from the hesitant mannerisms that the older girl displayed as she approached. "Just...you two are BROTHER and SISTER," she said as she put a hand on each of their shoulders, "Just...remember that, okay?" Her audience shared perplexed faces from the odd sendoff she'd decided to give them.

"Uh...yeah?...we know that?" Lincoln responded.

"We're not Leni Lori, I don't think our memories are that bad," Lucy informed. Lori's eyes went to her head thinking of how to make her point more prominent but before she could open her mouth again the goth continued. "Either way, we really need to get going," she said. The teenager was taken by surprise at the hugs the two felt inclined to give her, but settled into an embrace of her own around them.

"We'll see ya later!" Lincoln exclaimed taking hold of Lucy's hand. More happily than Lori had expected her to be, Lucy grinned as she bounded off the front steps of the house with their brother and waved to her. All Lori could do was watch with a concerned gaze as she gave a slow wave of her own to the children.

-end of segment-


	18. Beneath the Pale Moonlight Part 3

Chapter 15: Beneath the Pale Moonlight Part 3

Like the wind itself the two children dashed through the gentle blow of the leaves that drifted past them. As with the previous Friday, the streets of Royal Wood's nightly hours echoed with nature's silence. Not a single resident lurked about within the illumination of the neighborhood's lampposts. All that could be seen were the cracks and chips in the pavement of the sidewalk and the dark grey tar of the road. It was almost magical the way that the trees moved alongside the enlarged pathway that the street formed. It may as well still have been daylight out with how brightly the moon above them shown. With each sway of the trees their shadows dance along the hard artificial ground that the kids ran across. It may have been the same street that they'd raced across just hours before, but with their rejuvenated spirits the lifeless streets they ran along felt timeless. It was a new endeavor, a new scenario, a new adventure. But in the back of her mind Lucy felt that she'd lived that scene before and part of her longed for it to stretch on forever, just an infinite dusk-laden path for her and her partner to journey across endlessly. That isolated moonlit street. Just the two of them.

It wasn't long after their house had disappeared that they'd rounded the bend that would lead to the bus stop. It had been just a scratch in their ears when they'd gotten to the end of their block, but by the time they'd hit the the third turn the approaching clunking noise and chug of an engine confirmed it. Looking to each other, Lincoln and Lucy bent their brows and lifted their legs up as high as they could. Their feet plunged more viciously than they had that entire day in their increased speed. But it wasn't enough. They didn't need to make it around the corner to know the status of their ride, but it did allow them the view that they knew would spell their doom. Lincoln was gasping for breath as they made it to the station of the bus while the vehicle shrank into the horizon. He contemplated continuing after it, but it was of no use. He knew that. He knew Lucy knew that. And with how drained his muscles had started to become in the pause that they were easing into after the sight of their fleeing hope, there would have been no way they could've maintained their previous speed, let alone gone above it. It wouldn't have done them any good anyway. Their progress had been admirable, but chasing and catching a bus after the distance it'd put between them? It was impossible. Lincoln let out a pained groan as he slumped into the seat at the station and bounced a bit as Lucy did the same.

"Pant...pant...pant..." she wheezed over and over. Requiring a more proper rest after such a jog, Lucy let her head fall to Lincoln's shoulder where he rubbed the back of it for her. It may not have been much, but it was the comfort he could offer. For minutes they sat there forcing breaths into their recovering lungs. For everything they'd done, everything they'd endured...that'd been it. That one slight delay from Lori or Lynn's bathing or whomever they wanted to attribute the blame to had been enough to yank that achievement away from them. As fresh oxygen reached their brains however, they knew who was really at fault. Themselves. If they had just let the others know or had been not as obvious in their sneaking...everything would have gone just fine. But because of their distrust in their other siblings they'd been cost their chance. And even after those that would have killed them only half an hour earlier had done what they could to make amends, that repentance been dashed with the pair's scheming.

"...I guess that's it then..." Lincoln huffed after finally having swamped down enough air. He felt Lucy's hair trickle across his throat as her head slid further downward. Their work truly had fallen through. In the end it hadn't mattered what amounts of preparation they had set up. One slip of the clock was it all it had taken. And Lucy, perhaps deservedly, had been dealt her fate. It mattered not how much her heart may have beat for the boy she'd been after, how much it ached. Should the fates have decided that her destiny lay elsewhere there was little that could be done. But it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. Yes, it was soul-crushingly devastating to meet with the realization that she would never get her try with that gothic dreamboat. It made her veins swell with unbridled despair. But she wasn't alone. Even with the inevitable walk of defeat back to the house that she'd have to take, she'd have one boy by her side at least. She knew he would keep her company in that trek. It may not have been his request to become a part of her operations, but it had been his journey too, and he did care for her. That was obvious. As his sense of support eked back into her, Lucy looked up to him and tilted her head.

"...you look ridiculous with that wig," she commented. Looking to his forehead, Lincoln rolled his eyes.

"Hey, it's done up like how my hair looked when I joined the Morticians Club," he replied, "Besides, didn't want your friends immediately picking up on the act."

"I didn't say you didn't look cute," Lucy smiled. A light blush ran across her lower face as she tugged the object up a bit from his natural hair color. "Just think you look better when it's real," she said a bit more quietly. Blushing himself, Lincoln gave her a shy smirk and rubbed the back of her neck causing her to lay her head against his shoulder again. "...thank you..." she sighed. Her blush intensified as she felt the boy kiss her head and lay his against it, but in an unusual show of content she didn't tingle with nervousness or feel whatever awkwardness that normally remained from the action. No, she...she was fine with it. She'd always gotten happiness from the touch of the intimacy he could give, but normally not without her skin itching in some area response. Now though? She smiled. Smiled and kissed him back on the neck. It may not have been the end they'd been after, but at the least they did have each other...and for what it was worth, that made the defeat easier.

They didn't know how long they sat there waiting. Perhaps it'd been seconds or minutes, but during that time, in the soft blow of the wind, Lucy and Lincoln began to rock back and forth to the hum of a tune in Lincoln's throat.

"Nothing's better..." Lucy said quietly.

"Than the best thing ever..." Lincoln murmured. The two grinned at each other. Lucy should have been mortified. She should have been sinking into an unfathomable depression. She had lost her chance at getting the guy that she'd sought for so long...but for some reason...she was happy. She was enjoying her time. Perhaps it was that she'd not even gotten to see him, but somehow she thought that even if she had...Lincoln might have found a way to quell the loss. "Come on," he prodded as he got to his feet, his hand grabbing her's. She didn't fight the pull at all. Lucy's just followed right into his step. With a bounce to his pace, he brought an arm up and then threw it back down as the other one came up. Catching onto the rhythm, Lucy began to do the same with her shoulders. She was happy no one was around to see the stupid smile on her face. "Just cause we didn't make it to your dance doesn't mean we can't have one ourselves right?" he asked. Lucy gave a cute nod.

As they got into more extravagant motions however, they came to a stop. What had felt like the wind picking up had turned into a whirring gust that blew past them as a mechanized chair sped by. Though at first confused, Lincoln and Lucy shook their heads and looked towards the scooter that had rushed through the street. They exchanged glances a couple of times before taking off after it after Lincoln picked up his downed wig and yanked it back on. For the first moment the same thought had crossed their minds, but they'd assumed it would be a stupid idea. Seeing how fast the thing was getting away from them however, their shared premonition of hitch-hiking didn't seem nearly as foolhardy as it had sounded in their heads. Its capabilities only showed itself further as it seemed to accelerate.

"SCOOTS!" Lincoln cried waving his hands in the air, "HEY SCOOTS! STOP! WE NEED TO TALK TO YOU!" Looking back over her shoulder, the older woman glared.

"Ah shit, it's the fuzz!" she growled recognizing the look of one of the heroes that had stopped her earlier in the week. Something was...different though. Neither child seemed to have any of weaponry with them, and it's not like they had a means to catch her or any had case against her outside of what had been done on Monday. Genuinely curious by the insistence of the meeting that the black-haired boy seemed to be wanting to arrange, Scoots took her foot off the pedal and wheeled over to the side of the road where the two children sluggishly limped over to her gasping for air.

"Whatchu want?" she grunted as she folded her arms, "Scoots ain't done nothin' wrong today...that you saw..."

"We're not saying you did," Lincoln huffed as he slumped onto the handlebars of the vehicle in exhaustion, "we just...look, we...we really need to get somewhere and we missed the bus. You're always driving around. So we were just uh...thinking that...maybe you could...give us a lift?..." The old woman looked at the boy in partial bemusement. The two really did seem to have gone through hell to catch up with her based on their airflow.

"And why, pray tell, should I give one of the brats that got me locked up a ride anywhere?" she questioned looking towards Lucy. Lincoln blinked and lifted his brow.

"One of the brats?" he repeated in an almost offended tone. Intrigued by the questioning, Scoots inched her head closer to the boy on her scooter's basket and looked him top to bottom. Something about him...seemed familiar, but everything he was decked out in was...it wasn't right. Realizing just what was causing the confusion, Lincoln's brow flattened as he lifted up the side of his wig. Almost immediately the old woman jerked her head back.

"Ace Savvy!" she growled, "Get off mah bike you hooligan! You ain't takin' me back to the slammer!"

"Woah woah, Scoots, it's alright we're uh...off the clock," Lincoln said trying to think of a proper analogy for their superheroing personas. Scoots lowered her foot towards her pedal, but her continued interest in the odd conversation held her at her parking space.

"How'd you even get out of jail anyhow?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, did you like get time off for good behavior or something?" Lincoln theorized once he realized the status of their former adversary.

"Scoots got time off for being Scoots," the older woman boasted proudly causing the two kids to give each other an unamused stare, "And on that note, this is Scoots BEING Scoots. Peace fools!"

"No wait! PLEASE!" Lincoln begged throwing himself out in front of the scooter. Not wanting to damage her ride, Scoots jerked to a stop and shook her fist at him in annoyance. "Look, I know this thing can get some speed-"

"You're damn right!"

"I mean you helped me get the others rounded up at the mall that one time with it. Just...you...you won't even know we're there. Just one ride! Come on!" Lincoln continued falling to the ground on his knees with his hands clasped together. Lucy kicked the ground. She didn't care to show relation to any of the siblings that went to such embarrassing lengths, but she reluctantly had to agree with the methods if it made any headway towards their lost cause. And he hadn't given her a reason to lose faith in him yet. Rubbing her chin, Scoots poked her head through the handles of her vehicle and peered down at the young man. She wasn't used to such beseeching.

"Where are you lot off to at this time of night anyhow?" she murmured as the time of day dawned on her. She knew that question could easily be flipped around by whomever would ask it in those hours, but Scoot's didn't have to answer to no one. As if to ask permission, Lincoln looked to Lucy who gave him a shrug after analyzing the old hag. It's not like her knowledge would have any detriment to them.

"Ugh, okay, there's this...dance going on," Lincoln sighed, "We'd FINALLY gotten the chance to get ready and got out of the house, but then the bus pulled away right as we got there. We thought it was all over but then you came by on this, if I might say, sweet ride." Lucy shook her head at how Lincoln tried to sugarcoat Scoots's involvement. The elder seemed more focused on their side of the situation however.

"Ya know...I never pegged you for one of those...what are they called-, "doff" kids," Scoots commented poking at her lip.

"Goth..." Lucy corrected in quiet annoyance.

"I mean how many of them are into comics and Rip Hardcore?" she laughed. Getting an idea, Lincoln smirked before dropping the expression into a dull glower.

"Sigh, yes. Thy heart it swells for Ace and his ventures. And Rip Hardcore, he survives without measure," the boy replied emotionlessly. Lucy grabbed her hands at her midsection from the surprising poetry. Their onlooker however had a bit of a different reaction to the sudden mood-change.

"...well now you definitely ain't going anywhere," Scoots muttered as she slumped back into her seat, "Now beat it kid before-"

"I'll give ya five bucks," Lincoln grumbled as he took out the dollar bill.

"Where'd you munchkins say we were headed?" Scoots grinned as she snatched up the currency. Grinning a bit less enthusiastically to each other, Lincoln and Lucy made their way towards the back of her mobile seat once the boy picked himself up off the ground.

* * *

The night air was as calm as ever on that long awaited eve but as the children that had anticipated it for so long pushed on towards their goal their travel became much less so. Realizing what the sound was that was fast approaching it, an oncoming squirrel jumped and darted out of the way of the humming scooter that the odd alliance rode upon. It chittered loudly at the would-be attackers before moving back to its position in the road to continue gnawing on the nut it had found. Lincoln felt the air hiss from his mouth as the scooter he clung to bobbed up and down from one of the cracks that the driver did not seem to mind tearing across. Delicately, Lucy's body bounced against his and the back of Scoot's seat due to the cage that his arms grabbing the headrest in front of her provided. He knew that he couldn't afford to let go. She may have held the seat herself but he knew he had to give as much protection as possible with how fast they were going.

He could only assume Lucy's grip increased as well as the scooter skidded around an upcoming turn and continued its chug in the direction Lucy had been giving. Lincoln hadn't known that the old lady's ride could go so fast. He'd been on it before and that had been surprisingly speedy for the device. But this? It put those instances to shame. He let out a grunt as they hit another crack in the road. His vision didn't need to bounce for the world around him to become a blur. Unless he focused on the buildings or cars that they blazed past that's all they were. Just streaks of color. How anyone, especially someone of Scoots's age, could stay focused while piloting the questionable vehicle was a mystery he did not have the answer for. Hearing another direction from his sister, Lincoln had some time prepare for the next skid they'd make. He could swear he saw sparks fly out from the grinding wheels as they turned. As he felt her arm mash up against his he could tell there was more than just the tension of survival in her constricting tendons.

"I said "right", not "left"," she said to their driver with as much aggravation as her voice would let her.

"Huh?" Scoots mumbled, "Darlin' you gotta speak up."

"Grumbling sigh. It's fine. The next turn up here will-"

"No no, I'm used to this situation. Hang on kids!" Scoots insisted. The number of times she had gone off course from Lucy's navigating had become a bit frustrating, but as the solution to their dilemma presented itself the young passengers almost wished she'd just gone about the normal rerouting method. Completely unprepared for the sudden U-tun, the Loud kids felt their bodies practically fly off the back side of the scooter's seat as they swung around. In their movement, Lincoln could have sworn he'd seen a car just barely glistening under the lamplighting of the road in a nearby hidden driveway. He would have probably worried a bit about the sight of the authoritive colors had he not been doing what he could to hold onto their own vehicle for dear life. The sparks of the skid could not go unnoticed by anyone present in the circle that they spun in. As it shrieked to align itself in the opposite direction, the scooter hummed back to life and dipped a bit towards the ground from the sudden increase in speed.

Scoots may have grinned at the championed technique, but the boy at the back had anything but that expression on his face. Wildly his left arm and leg dangled about in the air current that their path made while the right side of his body stayed clamped to the scooter. But it was slipping, and fast. Lincoln clenched his eyes and strained his jaws in their bite fearing the weightlessness that he was sure to be enveloped by. Just as he was about to blow from his perch though, a paler hand grabbed at his torso and pulled him back. It must have taken some effort to yank him back hard enough for his body to hit Lucy's as hard as it did. It had been enough though. Before his left limbs could bounce back off of their regained footing, he threw his arm forward and clamped it back onto the seat in front of them. It was unbelievable to assume there could be as much relief as he was feeling with the speed at which the strange group was moving, but he did prefer that to the impact he would have surely felt otherwise.

His senses only drowned in further relief as he felt the rough brush of Lucy's back against his front. It may not have been purposeful, but it helped provide some comfort with the potential danger he'd just been pulled out of. Realizing she hadn't made much progress in parting herself from him, Lincoln looked down to see why. The arm she'd used to grab him with was still trying to grab at Scoot's seat. His body may have given her some break from the rushing wind around them, but her limb dangled off to the side beneath his own. Knowing he didn't have the momentum to be flung from the vehicle again, he grabbed her arm and brought it back to the seat himself. For a moment Lucy pulled herself forward with the regained hold on the vehicle's seating, but as Lincoln's arm fell back into place next to her's she smiled. She didn't let go of her hold, but she did allow her body to fall back against his again, though more gently with the full grip she now had. Blushing happily from the thankful expression she gave him over her shoulder, he chanced taking one hand from its rest to put across her stomach. Knowing that she wouldn't be held back by an outstretched arm herself, she put her own hand over his.

"You know, I haven't seen the bus at all..." he commented into her ear. He would have been surprised at the idea that a scooter of all things could catch up with one, but with how fast they'd been going he found the doubts silly in retrospect.

"Snicker. Lincoln, all the goths know where the place is," she told him as she rubbed her head up under his chin, "a bus route is not going to compare to the shortcuts I know." The boy grinned down at her as he nuzzled back. Perhaps the night wasn't as much of a loss as he had thought it would have been. That then begged a different question.

"If you knew a shorter way to go then why didn't we get back home and take Vanzilla?" he asked.

"Ugh, and deal with the others again?" she murmured sliding a tiny bit forward along his still-clamped arm, "First off we'd have had to walk all the way back home, then explain everything, and then mom or dad would probably want to look up directions themselves...it...it just felt like a hassle."

"A hassle?" Lincoln repeated a bit unimpressed, "After all we've been through, one more of those was an issue?" Lincoln smirked from the small smile he saw at the corner of her face. It did sound kind of silly with the way he dismissed it like that.

"Well...ya know...just..." Lucy mumbled. Slowly she slid back up against his body and wrapped her fingers around the ones on his hand at her midsection, "it just seemed like a bit of effort to try and beat the clock with...this just rolled right up in front of us..." Lincoln's viewing became more analytical as Lucy tried to hide her reddened face. "I mean it's not like it would have been a total loss...we were having a dance of our own ya know..." she reminded quietly. Lincoln blushed from the squeeze her hand gave his. He wasn't unnerved by the gesture or the wording, but it was a bit skeptical to him that she hadn't fought harder to continue their mission even if the odds had become so slim. Those odds however shrank to an unprecedented level as glows of red and blue flashed from their rear. Looking back, Lincoln felt his heart sink alongside Lucy's as they spotted the cop car chasing after them that he had noticed during their U-turn. There was more than just their absenteeism at their sought-after event to fear for now.

"Scoots! Pull over! This is the police!" a policewoman yelled through a megaphone.

"Ah crap, it's the actual fuzz!" she growled.

"Gasp! Tremble! Panic!" Lucy rattled off nervously. Lincoln would have given his own phrases of alarm had he not been more focused on the destruction of his hand from how tightly Lucy's had begun to crush it.

"Don't worry kids," the old woman grinned, "When you ride with Scoots you ride for life! Now where'd you say this shin-dig was?"

"Just up ahead and straight after the next right, but-YAHHH!" Lucy directed as her voice became lost in the sudden jerk forward that the scooter somehow was able to make amplifying its already impossible speed. Behind them the sound of the sirens dampened for only a moment before they grew back to their previous frequency. And began to surpass it. Scoots knew it wouldn't be long before the more adept vehicle was able to catch up to her's but she had little worry. It wasn't her first time playing that game, and she knew it wouldn't be her last. With decades of experience on her side, the wild woman grinned ear-to-ear as she bent her body to the side as hard as possible. With the force that she put behind her thrust, her passengers didn't know whether to hang on tighter or let go as the scooter began to fall. Not being fans of the idea of rolling along the hard ground, Lincoln and Lucy opted for the latter but had their doubts over whether or not Scoot's sudden dropping towards the ground had been intentional. As the view of the upcoming turn Lucy had mentioned met with their eyes in the slow turn that their fall was allowing they realized just what the insane lady was attempting to do.

Lincoln and Lucy tightened their grip like boa constrictors as the wheels on the less occupied side of the scooter lifted up and flopped back down onto the ground. With the continued speed Scoots had been building up during the most intense skidding that either child had felt in their journey, they shot forward. The unhampered acceleration snapped through the motorized chair all at once and as the trees and houses along the sides of their visions became nothing more than smeared colors, the two Louds clinging to the back of it lifted off the ground once more. But this time they didn't come back down. Not entirely. Judging by the fading noise behind them, the police car had overshot the sudden turn they'd made. That didn't deter Scoot's speed though. She knew that once the popo was on her tail they didn't let up. It'd only be a matter of time before the vehicle made its reemergence, and sure enough as Lincoln and Lucy managed to drift down enough to make contact with the floor of the scooter again their ears began to pick up the reinvigorated whirl of the sirens. Neither dared to look back towards the approaching glow. They may not have been the most recognizable passengers in their current state, but they didn't want to give the authorities anything to work with should they be drug into whatever mishap Scoots seemed intent on incriminating herself with.

Perhaps more importantly though was the part of the street that was a few yards ahead. Just on the horizon was the bus that they'd missed! And it was stopped. Lincoln had a hard time aligning his eyes well enough with the rush of the objects around him to scrutinize just what the banner next to the parked vehicle displayed, but he was pretty sure what it marked given Lucy's instructions. One final problem remained though, and it was gaining speed on them. Fast. With their destination finally within reach both children threw their heads around in search of a safe way off. The driver however was the one that had that answer. With how often she'd been on the run before she knew just about every type of emergency maneuver there was, and as she spotted some upcoming vegetation she settled the best one she could think of. Even if it wasn't their stop the kids had to be close enough to whatever bizarre event they'd dressed up for to make it there on foot at that point.

"I'm guessin' this is your stop?" she grunted.

"Y-yeah," Lucy replied, "But we're not gonna be able to-"

"I ain't dense kid. You just let go of my seat and get ready," she ordered. Lincoln and Lucy looked at each other in worried disbelief at what they had only hoped they'd heard.

"What?" Lincoln asked, "Why would we do that?! We can't just-"

"I said LET GO!" Scoots barked. Both Louds shared a look of pain as she smashed her body backwards and crunched their fingertips against the back of her seat. Feeling their hands yank away from their support, Scoots grinned and stuck her leg out. In one clean motion she smashed it into the ground next to the scooter causing it to pivot and swing into the opposite direction. As the cop car again went sailing past the evading scooter, the scooter's momentum caught up with the passengers that had been huddled at the back of it and with a snap Lincoln and Lucy were thrown into the air. The bus driver watched as though they saw pigs flying as the boy and girl somersaulted across their view and landed in the bushes next to a tree that marked the bus's dropoff point. Once Scoots had noticed the flurry of leaves that rained down from the impact that her passengers' bodies had made she grinned to herself. She still had it.

The old lady didn't care about the state of the future. She'd seen it all before, and it wasn't like any penitentiary would be holding her for long. She'd gotten her five bucks and had delivered her end of the bargain. That was what mattered. Whatever authorities would try to reprimand her for that she was sure she'd be able to shake them. Cackling gleefully, Scoots tore off back down the street she'd come from. It wasn't until after the cop car had managed to come to a stop and slowly recorrect its course of direction that the bus stop saw any activity from its guests. For a minute or so the area that the kids had landed in remained motionless. Only the bus driver seemed to realize where the two bodies that'd remained unseen to the rest of the world had landed, and with how little movement came from their cover the driver had certainly contemplated checking on it. Just as they'd begun to reach for the door's controls though a vibration seemed to shake the vegetation. Figuring their eyes had simply been seeing things, they reached for the controls again, but stopped as a head popped out from the leaves.

Checking to make sure that there were no stragglers to spot them from where the bus had dropped its passengers off, Lucy looked around quickly followed soon after by her recovering brother. Finding nobody except a few sharp dressed goths at the stone entrance beneath the banner, Lincoln and Lucy nodded to each other and pulled their heads back into the bush. After some rustling the duo emerged from the shrubbery, arm in arm as if they had been walking to the event as normally as anyone that lived nearby would have. Lincoln kept his head straight, but his eyes trailed upwards as they neared the gates leading into the small trail through the woods they'd landed next to. It was hard to make out with how stiff he felt he should keep his head, but out of the top of his eyelids he could see the vertical line that the black and white welcome banner became from his position. He may not have been able to make out every letter in his limited view of it, but he could see enough to tell what he presumed it said.

"The Royal Woods Ball of the Undead," he murmured aloud. Gently, Lucy put her head to his shoulder.

"We've finally made it," she smiled. Smiling back, he put his against her's. The relief they felt was suffocating as they approached the gateway. The previous Friday had been much less refined. Just pale-skinned youths trudging towards some sparsely disclosed location. But this? It felt like a majestic gathering by comparison. Of the few like-dressed people of the night that they did see, they too had clad themselves in more extravagant materials. The upper torso of the more boyish of the participants were garbed in more traditional looking suits that bore some rather Victorian stylings to their linings the girls wore dresses. Catching sight of a rather revealing one, Lincoln hung on the legs of the female a bit longer than his "partner" seemed to care for with the nudge and groan in her throat that she gave him. Lincoln's apologetic grin faded as they finally made it to the entryway.

At either side of the stone pillars holding the gateway stood what seemed to be guards. Each one wearing a top-hat, they looked the couple over seeing if each stipulation for the dressings checked out. The Loud children wore the best stone faces they could, but in their mouths their teeth bit the inner parts of their lips. Their destination was so close that they could taste it. They could literally smell it. The scents of incense and sandalwood drifted from the passageway before them. Were they at home even Lincoln might have been inclined to pick up one of Lucy's book for a flip-through. But here, beneath the gaze of such intimidating gargoyles of bouncers their bones quivered with a nervous worry. Of course it was standard procedure to not show up like they were just going out to some poetry slam, but had they done enough? Were they elegant in their stance and dress? Would the guards hear the crinkle that Lincoln had been feeling in the pantleg of his outfit ever since the previous night?

As the scan of their presentation came to an end one of the goths wordlessly lifted a finger to Lincoln and their hearts sank. They hadn't done enough. All of their time searching for outfits and getting Leni to adjust it properly, it'd been denied. He'd been denied. And without him Lucy had no one to attract her target's affection with. "Sigh..." they said stalely as they slumped their shoulders. As they did though, Lucy noticed something towards the upper left of her vision that had dipped alongside Lincoln's head. A branch. Praying that she'd caught sight of the issue, Lucy looked to the guard again. Sure enough his pointing finger had lowered with the drop of their heads. Of course it hadn't been Leni's error. If there was one thing that she struck gold on it was the assurance of proper attire.

"Oh dear. My beloved, it appears as though you have obtained an unexpected passenger," she said as she plucked the wood from her brother's wig and held it into view, "It must have been from when we were hanging atop the trees with our bats."

"Ah yes, I do remember feeling a prick on the way down," Lincoln confirmed emotionlessly catching onto the excuse, "It was as though death itself had knicked me with his scythe. Sigh. If only I had been so fortunate."

"Do not worry darling, that day shall come," Lucy assured him nuzzling her head against his, "Until that time though I shall keep this to use in the crafting of your coffin. It shall be a grand memento for this night and that of your brief meeting with the hereafter." Giving blank smiles to each other, the siblings turned back to the guards. The one who had been singling the boy out had lowered his arm and with a nod to the couple's seamless interactions the guards put their arms out towards the path they stood before. Lucy and Lincoln held back their grins until they had passed and proceeded down the earthy path to the dance-grounds.

"Sigh, what lucky coffin mates," one of the guards murmured, "Such lifelessness and understanding..."

"Indeed. Their future shall be happy in the bleakness they will share," the other nodded as the distant sounds of police sirens began to fade.

* * *

Within the trees and brushes along the outskirts of Royal Woods the normally whispering air bustled with quiet life. Beneath the strung-up lanterns and shape-patterned banderoles, outfits of blacks, grays, and other dark hues walked about in their silent steps. What would have generally been a group sizeable enough to warrant the apprehension of those in the neighborhood across the street from the event instead remained quiet and complacent with their inaudible disturbance. Save for the occasional melody from the violins or pipe organ that'd been set up at the stage that'd been erected at the furthest-most end of the site, not a soul made themselves known with noise. For those that did speak they kept it at a short distance and amongst each other. For those of the community's more estranged and isolated sect, it was a gathering of an unparalleled magnitude. Dreary figures of all shapes and sizes had come from far and wide to partake in the aberrant pleasures. A few of the youngest members had taken to sliding along the streamer-like decorations strung between the trees with batwings they'd constructed while many of the older ones had stuck to the more reserved activity of reading and listening to poetry that they'd been working on.

In the mists of the gathering's fog-covered floor, a girl in a dark purple frilled dress and elaborate collar that extended around the back of her head paced through the crowds in unshown delight. For her the event held more pride than for many of the attendees. She may not have been the lead in its construction, but she had certainly given her fair share of aide to its establishment. And that was to say nothing of the promotion she'd spearheaded from her club the week before. Seeing the volume of participants that had decided to come filled her with swathes of pleasure. The typical lifestyle for their kind echoed waves of isolation and loneliness the likes of which normal inhabitants dared not conceive, but even they enjoyed the increase in numbers. After all, it was better to be lonely together than enduring it alone. The fifth grader may have had her club mates to socialize with, but the unusual amount of conjoined solitary lifestyles provided a bedding of security for the normally fragile souls that congregated within those woods.

And yet the girl felt distanced. It may have been her former lifestyle before she had decided to invest in the drearier side of the community, but her mind ached. Haiku had accompanied the rest of the Morticians Club from Royal Woods Elementary to the event and she did adore them. Their habits. Their complete and utter hopelessness. It was to be respected. But it still felt off. She didn't know whether she should have held out any hope for the younger member or not. After all, the event was far from over, but with how often Lucy had been absent from their own gatherings for the last two weeks it was a telling sign the further along the night got. Haiku didn't care to have come without a date. The fruits of her labor were satisfaction enough to see in action. But she had desired, in some dark crevice of her mind, to see the Morticians Club's other figurehead show up at the event. To see the young goth traipsing stoically through the misty floors that the fog machines around the site provided would have spurred hope of some form in her and would show that Lucy did still value her congenital nature.

"Sigh," Haiku said as she strode through a thick cloud of the smoke that'd been building up towards the center of the area. She admired Lucy. Perhaps that is what hurt the most with her worries. For as long as she'd been a part of the gothic community that younger girl had been there. Helping her. Guiding her. Even if Lucy hadn't noticed it, Haiku had looked up to her in some way. When she'd given up her normal visage she had had some inklings as to the cool dressings and unrequited love that tended to come with the territory, but getting to know the Third Grader had shown a side to that line of thinking that she hadn't even imagined. The dedication that the younger girl had had towards her studies into the paranormal, the passion she had for the finality of life. It was...stunning. And yet she had seemingly been drifting further and further away from her participation in what little openness their kind gave at their school. Haiku knew what it was like to live a more...normal lifestyle having come from one herself, but if she had to see that happen to one with such ardor for their customs it'd be...harrowing.

In the dim illumination that the fogged lights provided, Haiku barely had time to react as the vague shadow that had been approaching her passed by. In the fraction of seconds that she recovered from the near run-in with the boy that passed through the mist she found herself held on the brief stare they gave each other. The light hair, the round face. She knew those features. It wasn't long before the image had passed, but she found herself wearing her pride on her sleeve once more. At least that boy from the last week's Goth Mic Night had shown up. He was likely only there to watch until someone happened to chance upon a dance with him. But he had at least arrived, which was more than could be said for another young goth as far as Haiku had seen. Catching ear of her ilk she turned to head back towards her group. As expected they had all brought dates, either sharing the night between each other or between other ill seen accomplices. But as she approached her face refused to show the startled thankfulness that it so viciously fought to display. As the shapes of the glared setting became more vivid the presence of a couple of new figures could be seen, and ones that the rest of the group seemed to be caught in investing conversations with.

The smaller of the two portrayed the features of the girl she feared would miss out on yet another morbid get-together whereas the person Haiku could only assume was her date was caught up in some debate about the inner workings of one of the Vampires of Melonchalia titles with Borris. As they came within about five feet of the oncoming girl the group seemed to take notice and congregated over to her position where the talks of vampires and authors continued. It took a few seconds for Haiku to break from her smile to Lucy and strike up her own remarks about the surprise of her actually attending something with the group for once, but as the two delved into their own discussion about the oddities of the week and the constant distractions that Lucy had had to endure, she began to take notice of something else. Haiku hadn't had the chance to speak to the boy Lucy had brought with her, but as she looked her "date" over she felt a sense of...familiarity from him.

She knew that that feeling wasn't lost on the others. As Lucy recounted the events of what she could remember of what had happened during school on Monday and her trip into the hellish world that she and Lincoln had been warped to two days prior, Haiku took the time to scan through her other associates. They seemed more than delighted to listen to and give input on what the couple had to say, but of the ones that paid attention to her "date", Haiku knew that those that conversed more adamantly with him had begun to take notice. They couldn't figure out just why it was that he gave off that sense of deja vu, nor did they seem to mind with how knowledgeable and interested he seemed to be with the dreary habits of their kind. In fact Haiku dared to say he would have fit right in with their club at school. But while the other members seemed to brush aside the strange suspicions that tickled the backs of their minds, Haiku continued her focus as she gave responses to Lucy's talks that were just thought-out enough to not be seen as ignorant. And as the boy turned to look and smile at the glimpse he got of her reddening face, Haiku's heart sank. No wonder the boy Lucy had come with had looked like such a catch. Not many could pull off the sharpness that he did.

As the strings of a new piece from one of the violinists began to hum throughout the gathering, the members of Royal Woods Elementary's Moriticians Club bid their best to the newcomers and filed off to spend time conversing with others or enjoying the atmosphere with their own "partners". Having none herself however, Haiku remained at Lucy's side. As Lucy finished up whatever details she'd been reciting of one of the chaotic instances that had held her up earlier in the day, she noticed the line of Haiku's eyesight. It hadn't been shifting from her for a while, but with the absence of their friends it remained on the boy Lucy had brought with her. And it looked...almost...accusing.

"...really?" Haiku muttered putting her hands on her hips as her vision tilted down to the younger girl.

"...what?" Lucy asked genuinely curious.

"What?" Haiku repeated looking back up to her "date". She could tell that some degree of nervousness had begun to worm its way through the boy under her stare, but dear lord did he put on a good facade of disinterest. "If you're gonna do the whole "Forbidden Love" thing, you should at least be woman enough to own up to it," she sighed shaking her head. Giving a blank turn of her head to her "partner", Lucy looked back to Haiku and shrugged again.

"...what are you talking about?" Lucy asked. The boy may have not spent enough time living their mannerisms to fake it under the eyes of a veteran, but Lucy wore her face of confusion with no issue.

"That's your brother," Haiku stated. After giving the boy a good long look Lucy looked back to her and cocked her head.

"...I don't see it," she replied. Haiku gave a frustrated peer to the younger girl and grabbed at the wig covering Lincoln's head. Almost instantly hands from both genders of the pair were at her wrist. From what she had managed to lift up Haiku could make out a couple of strands of white peeking through the blackness that Luna had provided the boy with.

"How did you even get him ready for this?" Haiku grunted as she put her hands on her hips, "if you needed a guy I'm sure we could have found someone. But this? This isn't some poetry slam you just slap eyeliner on for. How's he even know how to talk to the others this well? The amount of time it would have had to have taken to get him ready for this would-..." Haiku's eyes went wide as the realization dawned on her. Clinging tightly to her brother's arm, Lucy huddled next to him under the perturbed glower that the older girl gave to her. "THIS is what you've been missing the club meetings for?" Haiku practically spat, "why would you waste your time training your BROTHER of all people to be a part of this? I thought you'd at least flaunt the immoral relationship. You know the types of points you can get from-"

"Exasperated ugh. Haiku, it's not like that," a stale voice interrupted. Blinking, the purple-cloaked girl looked to the taller Loud. She was used to Lucy's verbal narrations and tone, but from ANY of the rest of her family...the demonstration was...startling. He hadn't missed a beat. The way his voice uttered, the deadpan expression, the lifeless gaze as he spoke. It was all there. All in what Haiku assumed could have only been a matter of weeks, IF that, they had seemingly developed a guise so seamless for Lincoln that he blended into the crowd of Royal Wood's disowned normalcy like he'd been part of their clique for years. For someone that didn't know him they would have never guessed what he had been like at school. What she had SEEN him like at school. There he was excited, boisterous...jovial. But here, under the illuminating moonlight, he drolled out the utterance of the dreary stereotype like any of the rest of them. Whether it be just a mask or a full-fledged metamorphosis that Lincoln had been bestowed with, Haiku was almost jealous of how quickly he had been converted.

"Oh it's not?" she murmured once she'd processed the unexpected informant, "Then what all is this about?" Lincoln looked to Lucy who tilted her head towards the ground. Haiku may have been...a bit justifiably irritated by the revelation of what Lucy had put her efforts towards in exchange for the interactions with her peers, but she was still a confidant. And it's not like their secrecy would be worth much of anything with how late into the game they were.

"Sigh, please forgive me Haiku, but Lincoln here is not my...my..."boyfriend"..." Lucy murmured. The boy gave a sympathetic smile to the fingers that dug into his forearm.

"Then why, pray tell, does he look dressed to steal Griselda's soulless heart?" Haiku inquired.

"Curious hum. Do you think I'd have a shot?" Lincoln asked. He hissed as he felt the imprints of Lucy's nails file into his skin through his coat.

"Sigh," Lucy muttered looking back up to the older girl. She may have had less confliction with telling Haiku of their agenda, but that didn't make her prodding any more tolerable. "We have crafted Lincoln into the creature of the night that he is now as part of our operation," Lucy told her.

"...operation?" Haiku asked. Lincoln nodded as she looked at him.

"There's a certain boy that she became enamored with a few weeks back," he told her, "Based on the footage she was able to collect of him, we were able to deduce that he only has eyes for that which he can not have since he only watches the girls he likes once they're with another guy."

"Which is why you..." Haiku murmured. Lincoln nodded again. After looking between the two a few times, her eyes settled on Lucy. Haiku's gaze held less temper for her than she'd been displaying, but annoyance still seemed to line her judgement. "That boy at last week's Goth Mic Night that you asked about," she guessed. The hesitant nod Lucy gave confirmed her suspicion. "Well lucky for you he did show up. But..you know...he could just be shy," she suggested, "You could just...talk to him." Feeling Lincoln's arm move against her body in teasing approval, Lucy blushed.

"N-no...it'd...it'd jeopardize..."

"Everything," Lincoln finished. In the glance Haiku spared him she noticed his eyes slide to the side Lucy wasn't on. But he knew the routine, and with how far they'd come he was there. For her. Lucy's face dampened a bit as she felt the comfort of the hand he slid along her back. Haiku may have held some resentment towards the uncovered excuse towards the girl's absences, but she did have some admiration towards their perceived struggle. Just what all the full story of their "training" was would be something that she would likely worm out of Lucy later, but for the time being there was little else to be said. And after the amount of preparation they must have endured to get to where they were who was she to stand in their way, especially with the results they provided for the eyes of the female portion of the gathering?

"We would like to thank you all for coming to the Royal Woods Ball of the Undead," a young male voice called over the loudspeakers that'd been strung up in trees around the event. Lucy and Haiku grinned towards the stage in surprise. Of all the people they could have expected to show up, they hadn't given a thought to the idea that the former leader of their club might make an appearance. "To all the hallowed inhabitants of the night, I would like to offer my sincerest condolences. Your presence is as enchanting as the evening air itself," Bertrand proclaimed. Every time he caught eye of one of his former colleagues his smile widened at them. "I am sure that each and every one of you has been looking forward to this night for a good long while. Well wait no further dear associates of the other world, for the celebrations are here. The blood punch is waiting by the entrance for those that will need refreshments, but for those still pent with energy we hope to ebb it from you as we begin our dance. And so, let us take our positions and start the ritual." With his speech concluded, the former Royal Woods student dropped his head signalling for the light above him to dim as the ones over the makeshift orchestra behind him brightened. The quiet tune strumming from the violin beckoned the couples of the gathering to fall into line at the floor in front of the stage. Catching onto the cues, the brother and sister's hands pressed firmer against their respective holds.

"Sigh, well...if it doesn't work out with your sister, I'll be waiting at the bleachers on the side," a less animus Haiku told Lincoln. He blushed from the wink she gave him, but as she trotted off Lucy turned to puff her cheeks out in her direction. Taking the tightening of his sister's hands around his arm as incentive to start, Lincoln grinned and jerked the arm towards his body pulling Lucy's clinging one to him.

"Alright Luce. You ready?" he smirked, "It's time."

"Y-y-...yeah..." she nodded nervously. Lincoln was surprised to see the anxiousness that she carried, but it was understandable. After all that they'd done to get to the Ball, even in just that day, it was a bit overwhelming to finally be at the doorstep of their objective. But it was their's to seize. And after the weeks they'd been after Lucy's prey they could not let some shot nerves hold them back. They may not have known just where the boy was within the thirty-to-forty attendees around them, but if Haiku said he was there then they had to make a show. Someone of his coveting would surely be watching. After the attention they'd grabbed of his the previous Friday there was no doubt as to his how his interests worked. The only thing left now was to goad his move. Present the unattainable. And then strike. Lucy and Lincoln were sure to take another look around using the eyes in their stilled faces as they moved into position, but found nothing. Nothing but the various other goths clasping their hands to those of their dates around them. There was no more time to search. They would surely continue their scan in the movements they'd make throughout the duration of their engagement, but the abrupt tune of the pipe organ in the background signaled their focused involvement.

Taking note of the other boys that fell to their knees around him as the next chord struck, Lincoln did the same. Having become well versed in the routine over the course of their week of practice, he lifted Lucy's hand towards his and, as if becoming a slave to the hive-like mentality that provoked the same actions from the other males, he pressed his lips to the back of his "date"'s palm. It may have taken seconds, but in those seconds of connection passed a lifetime. As his eyes slid back open Lucy fell into the welcomeness that the pupils that stared up from his downturned face gave to her and she gasped. She didn't say the word or maintain her disinterest. She gave a genuine quiet noise of intimate reverence in those impossible hours that their link passed. Lucy could see every detail. The softness of his face, the freckles on his skin, the deep lust-giving depths of his beckoning eyes. And almost as impossibly as they'd stayed, those hours of analysis slipped back into the reality of time and shrunk back into the second that it took Lincoln to lift back to his feet and place his hands into the appropriate holds against her's.

It was good that Lincoln was there. With how she dwelled on his image, Lucy had become all but incapacitated by whatever trickery her eyes had filtered through to her. She should have been thrilled to see Lincoln pulling off such a hypnotic pull given the role he was supposed to be playing but...in that moment it'd been overpowering...that...allure. Her throat vibrated with intoxication as he gripped her waist and pulled her body up next to his. She hardly even noticed the gentle melody that'd begun to play as their movements joined in the steps of the dreary participants around them. With her hand instinctively clung to his shoulder and the other in his outstretched one to their side she rocked back and forth, her body draping helplessly against his. Lucy knew precisely why Haiku might fancy him. In his normal attire he was not at all a bad looking kid. That'd been obvious from her the reports of that dance he'd ditched to hang out with Ronnie Anne that one time. But with him dreary and doured to the point of gothic-interfacing as he was now? If they hadn't been having to dance Lucy would have just rested her figure against his desirable form.

She smiled as they stepped. It was perfect. HE was perfect. In the ways he moved and talked and...was...he was perfect. And that perfection was the exact tool that they needed, for as the two spun with the rest of the crowd her eyes caught sight of another figure to lust for. Sitting on a set of bleachers to the side of the grounds was him. That light-haired round-faced boy that her mouth had watered for on the previous weeks' Goth Mic Nights. Her prize. Her prey. Her...objective. And he was staring. Right. At. Her. The eye contact broke as the latest twirl completed, but the look hadn't been lost on Lincoln.

"You saw him?" he asked. Drowned beneath the enamoring nature of the situation, Lucy's unhearing attention drifted up to him and stared with a somewhat opened jaw. "Luce?..." Lincoln prodded.

"Huh?" she mumbled to the dreary face before her.

"The boy. Did you see him?" Lincoln asked a bit more loudly in the sidestep their dance took.

"W-wha-y-YES!" she almost choked as she regained her senses. Viciously she shook her head. The brief bout of spaced-out staring had provided a bit of worry as did the speckles of sweat that Lincoln caught on the younger girl's forehead. She shook her head once more as the trembles of her hand died down. The breath she took following that seemed to steady whatever was left of the anxiousness she'd seemed to have paused from. "Yes..." she repeated a bit more slowly, "I...I saw him..."

"We're about to switch," Lincoln told her.

"Hm?" she hummed. Having just barely managed to rejoin the participation she'd been completely thrown off in what phase of the routine they were currently engrossed with.

"Partners. Switching partners," Lincoln whispered, "He's right there, and he is DYING to get to you. All you have to do is keep switching in that direction and tease him enough to get him to join in."

"R-...right..." Lucy gulped. That task on its own was imposing enough, but now...with the grasp of such a reliable partner on her...her body found it even more hard to part with the sharp-dressed catch that she danced with. One way or another though she would have to find the nerve to break from his hold. If nothing else the dance demanded it and, as the beat of the music that was playing directed, every girl split from their mate at the same time to spin into the grip of another boy.

"You got this," Lincoln winked as she twirled out of sight and fell into the hands of another guy. Almost instantly she was torn from her hypnotic spell. The face that she now stared into was nowhere near the caliber of handsomeness of either boy that she had laid eyes on throughout the dance thus far. She had to thank the less handsome visage however, for it helped to reset her thought-process. With the handiwork of she and her sisters' molding out of sight, Lucy now only watched for one of her eyes' pleasantries, and she had drawn nearer to him. It took around half a minute more, but before long she had partaken in another spin that brought her even closer to the bleachers, an act that seemed to perk up the male that she had worked towards so tremendously. In his surprise, the boy fell back a bit in his seating but kept his eyes fixed on the black-haired girl that seemed to be making her way towards him. Lucy couldn't believe it. He was watching. He was waiting. And she was approaching. It was too good to be true...and perhaps it was. After all, even if she did get to him...what then? They'd spend time together no doubt. He had interest in her. That was clear as a moonbeam. But...what did he like? How did he operate? What would be a good place to strike up a conversation? Perhaps it was those questions of uncertainty that prompted the turn in her twirls around the dancefloor. Realizing her retreat, the boy in the bleachers sunk back into his seating sadly as she began to approach the boy that she did understand. Legitimately surprised by her return, Lincoln looked his sister over once she'd fallen back into step with him, but seeing no dissatisfaction on her face he could only assume that she hadn't been rejected by her target.

"Everything go okay?" he asked quietly as they stepped side-to-side.

"Wha?" Lucy murmured, her eyes locked back on his. Furrowing his brows, he pushed his head closer to her's. He was surprised to see her do the same. They were so close that he could taste her breath on his tongue.

"Did you get to him?" Lincoln asked more clearly and directly hoping her neared face would pick up the more precise question.

"Oh!" she coughed as she pulled her red face back, "H-he...sigh, w-what should I say to him?" Lincoln's eyes lifted towards his head in unsurprised dismissal. With how the last Friday had gone it was an irritant to see the stalled opportunity, but not unexpected.

"Just say "Care to join?" or something like that," Lincoln sighed, "Or...don't even say anything. Just stick your hand out towards him. He's all alone there. Not like anyone else is gonna take the hint."

"Sigh, thanks Lincoln. You always know just what to say," Lucy said. His face burned lightly as she placed a kiss on his cheek before becoming caught in the next twirl leaving him with a much taller female.

"Hello," Persephone grinned at her new dance partner. Lincoln gave her a shaky smile as Lucy fell through the clutches of the various other boys blocking her path to the one she was after. Again his face lifted with disbelieving expectancy. And almost as fast though it fell back into its heartrbroken air as the girl that he had been watching redirected her circling. This time when she rejoined her "date", she was a bit surprised to find him somewhat more ruffled than she'd left him but his surprise was much more temporary once he noticed that her reunion with him only meant a further delay in their mission.

"Did someone throw you back around? What happened this time?" Lincoln asked. Lost in her view of the black-clad marvel before her, Lucy simply danced in his hold. If anything she seemed more interested in the state of his somewhat disheveled dressing than she did her pathway to the boy she was after. "Hey Lucy?" Lincoln said snapping his fingers in front of her face, "You home?"

"Bwuh-h-hi Lincoln," she stuttered. Lincoln pursed his lips. It was happening again. The nervousness. Whatever it was that had allowed the boy to get away from them that last Friday was reemerging. Lucy was losing her edge, and if she didn't act it would all be for naught. Again. For the second week in a row, for their FINAL attempt, he would vanish. And that'd be it. It'd be over. And Lincoln did not want that. He may have held a bit of personal anger towards his sister for the victory she'd cost them the last time, but with all that they'd gone through together in that week leading up to the dance another more offensive fear had made itself known. Her despair. For so long, so many years, Lucy had drenched herself in that devouring element and he knew that it wasn't always easy. It was her lifestyle, but he knew anybody wanted to be happy. Over the course of their adventures together he had seen her bestowed with such joy. Such...elation. To those around them the change may have seemed minuscule. Lincoln may have understood her better than most to begin with, but the endeavors they'd worked through together, the...bond they now shared...it allowed him to see every detail to her demeanor. He had seen her happier than she'd ever been throughout their time together. And he did not want her to blow her chance again, for her own sake.

"Lucy, focus," Lincoln ordered. The tightening of his fingers against her's forced her to listen, "This is it. This is what we have been waiting for. I know...I know it's...scary. But are you really going to let that hold you back? He is waiting. Him. The guy you have been after is waiting for you to make the move." Lucy hung her upper lip over her lower one as he dipped his face close to her's. "It's alright. You're not alone. I'm here for you. However it turns out you have me for support," he told her. Shakily she nodded her head, though only half of her was aware enough to hear his plea. He smiled at her and gave her forehead a light tap of assurance with his. "Also you uh...think I might have a shot with...Persephone?..." he murmured quietly. For a brief pause Lucy just stared at him. "Lu-"

"No," she told him flatly, "No you don't." The directness of the girl's reply left Lincoln with a dawdling surprise as she was handed off to the boy in front of him parting her from the comfort she delighted in. In the ring she twirled through this time, it was that lack of companionship that drove her back. Her mind fought its best to keep on track with what she was supposed to be doing, but the weight of Lincoln's absence turned her from her course even faster than before. By the time she was halfway back around she'd completely forgotten just why she'd parted from him in the first place leaving the boy that had been her target sulking from the denial yet again. And for one onlooker it was becoming more than just an annoyance.

Fed up with the continued tease that the boy was being forced to sit through, Haiku slid over next to him and hung her body forward. Seeing the younger girl rejoin her brother for a third time, a growing irritation crawled across the lines of Haiku's forehead. Whether or not the dancing child herself knew the reason she allowed herself to be pulled back, Haiku hardly cared. The knowledge of how her friend had bailed on their gatherings to set up such an elaborate operation as an excuse to indulge in the activities of her unadmitted desires had begun to set in. And deriding of the boy in the stands only furthered Haiku's distaste towards her tactics. She wasn't being fair to him. Or to herself. Fueled by disapproval, Haiku closed her eye.

"Sigh..." she said causing the boy next to her to jump. Haiku may have felt some guilt towards her own ideas, but she knew that it was better than just watching Lucy's ignorance stab at him. After all, even if the boy were to remain suffering the younger girl would still need to dwell on what she truly wanted herself. "You wanna go somewhere else?" she asked the boy. If Lucy wasn't going to make amends to the detriment she was putting him through the least Haiku could do was pick up the slack. Nervously the boy mumbled something as he looked back down to his object of covet and her date as they continued their dances, though with what appeared to be more confliction with each round-trip the girl made to him. He jumped again but less severely as he felt the touch of the girl next to him press against the hand he had clutching the railing in front of him. "I know a good coffee place that's open 24 hours," Haiku told him, "have heard some good poetry there." The boy looked to the girl he'd been waiting for again and sighed as he came to terms with where her interests must lie. Relenting on the distance of another unattainable girl, he squeezed the hand of the one that had allowed him a chance and smiled at her.

As the music began to slow, so too did the movements of the fluid choreographed steps of the couples that had been participating. A few remained mismatched in their pairings, but of the dates that had returned to each other were the Loud kids that had been rather untouched in their synchronization. Their faces however left much to be desired in the compatibility category. While Lucy bounced up and down even with the slowing beat, Lincoln's face contrasted her delighted grin with a sense of annoyance. Irritation. No matter how many times he'd set her up to make her way over to her objective she'd always seemed to find some way to wander back around to him. Half the time she hadn't even seemed to have had an excuse. She just delighted in her steps with him. Lincoln enjoyed a good jig as much as the next Loud, but it was unreasonable for her, of all the siblings, to have found so much fun in the dancing to have completely shoved aside the entire reason for why they had come to the event. To throw away the entire two weeks of trials they'd gone through to get there. Maybe it had been that she didn't want to risk a lesser dance partner with how well she knew his moves, but the reason for her ruining of their scheming hardly mattered. What did matter was what Lincoln knew, and what he did turned his irritation to sorrow.

"A thrilling performance from all of you," Bertrand congratulated from the stage, "This first dance has been tremendous. We shall resume the activities in a short while, but until then please, feel free to satiate your appetites and converse as only the undead would." The lights above the boy dimmed as he vacated his spot to engorge in some sustenance of his own. While most of the couples began to disperse towards other areas of the gathering, Lucy simply stuck herself up next to Lincoln with the grin she'd been wearing during their routine. She truly had been enjoying herself. And while Lincoln was uplifted beyond measure to see her spirits so high, he feared for what that meant for the inevitable repeat of their failure during the week before.

"Lucy...what the hell did you do?" he sighed. Lucy's bemused expression dropped and she looked up to her brother's shaking head. It took her a few moments to register just what had been wrong with the enticing dance they had shared but once the remembrance of the dance's intent dawned on her she tensed her shoulders and tilted her head towards the sky. She didn't know what had come over her. She had wanted to get to the boy they'd been after. She had wanted to dance right over to him and pull him into the fray. She had wanted to so badly...but for some reason that had gotten lost amidst the flurry of enjoyable sensations she'd gotten as she participated with the dance-partner that had arrived with her. Whatever it was about Lincoln, be it his moves, his suit, his...him, she had just retreated straight back to his side, each time. Lucy hadn't been able to keep track of when it had happened, but somewhere in the constant ring-arounds she made to him, she'd completely forgotten the entire reason why they'd come to the dance in the first place. She'd become too wrapped up in the festivities themselves. She had just wanted to enjoy the moment with her assuring "partner". She'd just wanted to enjoy him.

"Embarrassed ughhhh..." Lucy groaned, "Ugh ugh ugh. Lincoln I-...I am SOOOOO sorry. I promise, this next time I am GOING to get him."

"Luce, I'm not sure...you can..." he murmured drawing her face back down to his.

"Of course I can. Don't worry," she told him, "it's just the first dance of the night. I may have blown that one, but there's still more to go. And now that I got the "groove" going, as Luna would say, there's no way he's going to be able to resist my moves."

"He can if he's not here..." Lincoln almost mumbled, unsure of how he should go about refuting the claim. Lucy tilted her head at the words. Beneath her hair her eyes blinked a couple of times and as the intent of the sentence wormed its way through her head she felt her skin begin to crawl. Even with the uncertainty of his tone, the criticizing jest did not sit that well with her given what was at stake.

"Sigh, Lincoln, I know I'm not always the most...dependable when I get carried away on things. I...I can't help if you're um..f-fun to...ahem...bounce around with..." Lucy murmured as she twirled some strands of hair around her finger, "But...but I'm really gonna try this next time. If you see me getting uh...distracted again...just dance us both a little closer to the edge. That way there's less of a chance that I'll-"

"Lucy. He's gone," Lincoln stated. He hadn't wanted to incite any anxiety from the reveal, but with her not acknowledging his previous attempt he had little choice but to rip the band-aid off. Again Lucy blinked at him, but this time her figure jumped once the words had settled. Praying upon prayers that the statement had been nothing more than a cruel joke, she whipped around. And as her head darted too and fro she began to ease into the suspicion that it had been. But that idea shattered as her eyes finally fell upon the figures in the middle of her vision. The boy that she had been after. The one that she had striven so hard to acquire and whom she had helped modify Lincoln so drastically for was leaving. He was walking towards the exit of the event with the hand of another girl's in his. Haiku.

For a spell there was silence. Nothing was able to sift into Lucy's deafened ears. Not even the flicker of the burning candles placed around the setting were able to penetrate the audio shield that had encased the interior of her hearing. There was nothing. Nothing sounded. Nothing felt. It was numbness. The sheer and utter culmination of failure. Had Lucy had a heart it would have stopped beating, and for a moment the burn in her chest made her believe she might actually have had one. But as time passed that burn emanated. It swathed and boiled until it pumped itself through every vein of her being. Her limbs shuddered and her fingers trembled. Beneath the paleness of her skin, a redness bubbled across her face and a vicious deathly scowl dawned it. Haiku had taken the boy she'd been after. The boy that she KNEW she'd been after. And in those seconds...she hated her.

"That...BITCH!" Lucy yelled. The sudden curse caused Lincoln to stumble back a bit. He had begun to approach her to try and rub her shaking back, but the boiled-over fury pushed him away. Deep in Lucy's throat he could hear a hiss. The words and sounds Lucy wished to express became jumbled into a mix of noises that stayed caught in her neck, but the twitches of her mouth and cheeks showed clearly the rage she felt. To Lincoln's fortune, the rest of the crowd had mostly dispersed far enough away to not have taken much notice of the little girl's anger, and those that might have were probably used to the occasional outburst of their type. Even goths could only maintain their cool for so long. And Lucy was losing her's. Knowing she needed more comfort the further in her spite got, Lincoln started his approach again, though more cautiously.

"Sigh, Lucy...I'm sorry. I kept trying to get you to-"

"Shut it Lincoln!" she spat spinning around to glare at him. After all the time they'd spent, all the time SHE had spent readying herself for the fated meeting with that boy, she did not comply with reminders of the stumbles she had taken. Of all people, Lincoln should have known better. He should have understood the anger to be had for having her goal, the whole point of their two weeks of partnership, being ripped away from her. And yet he dared to flaunt it in her face? Initially Lincoln pulled his head back as his lips pressed together in fright at the redirected fuming, but like a disease the anger started to seep into him as well.

"Well if you're going to be a bitch about it yourself, don't do it at me!" he yelled bearing a glare of his own. Lucy was about to expel another bark of her own but as she opened her mouth Lincoln's hurt figure turned and walked off towards the edge of the event. With the way he'd spun and the complete lack of interest towards what her response might have been that he showed, Lucy felt her burn die away. All that was left was sorrow. Hurt. Pain. Regret. Her lips just moments before lined with rage now began to quiver. She'd lost. She'd lost perhaps everything.

"...Lincoln..." her voice croaked as he disappeared into the trees of the woods.

* * *

Haiku hummed to herself as she walked. She didn't realize the noise she was making, but her vocal chords strung out a tune in the easing of her actions. It quelled her mind from the ramifications of those decisions. It was best to live in the moment, at least for such occasions. She was the older of the two Morticians Club leaders. She had more sense to her judgement, at least that's what she believed to have been one of the reasons that Bertrand had initially chosen her as his successor. She didn't want to see anybody hurt, but given how the other leader had been acting that night, she knew that that was inevitable. Lucy may have known her way around a coffin like no other, but she was young and her actions could be...selfish...reckless. She still had quite a bit of maturing to do when it came to the inner workings of her motives. And by the looks of it, the boy she'd been teasing had suffered enough under his own obsession without the younger girl drawing even more of that from him. Lucy would make a fine mate of her own once she understood more of what she herself desired as she matured, but with the type of pain that Haiku knew that Lucy's thoughtless pursuits could cause she didn't care to see another person antagonized by the other girl's selfishness.

Haiku's eyelid lifted in surprise as she heard the tune that had been playing from her throat. Once she had realized what she'd been doing she'd stopped, but the hum that had drawn her attention to it had not. Having heard that song on the radio as well, the boy she held the hand of continued the track that'd been calming her mind until her vocals joined back in.

"And nothing's better than the best thing ever," she said quietly falling against him. The light-haired boy blushed hotly at the unfamiliar contact, but smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist. Haiku might not have turned her nose up to a dance with the male Loud, but his look-a-like that Lucy had been after was no slouch himself when it came to looks. Besides, Lucy needed her "date" more than she did.

* * *

The breeze that had been blowing across the town had died down as the night had gone on. What had once been a pleasant current weaving through the houses and outcroppings of the township had fallen silent beneath the rising moon. And while that did provide easier traveling conditions, it also brought with it an uncanny quietness. The ears of the body who's feet ventured through the woods along the outskirts of Royal Woods caught every crunch of leaves and every snap of the branches beneath the footfalls they trekked through. The silence of the trees around them seemed almost fitting, and on another night it may have actually provided some levity with the haunting atmosphere it could provide, but on that night it only drove home the hopelessness of their nature. It was soul crushing...empty. It haunted, but for a reason other than the vapid creepiness that the individual normally drenched themselves in. Not even a hoot of an owl sounded as they made their way through the silent woods. They were alone. Completely alone. And perhaps...they deserved it.

But she craved companionship. She'd tasted its delight. And after the feelings they'd been allowed to experience with their partnership, she did what she could to try and find a straw to grasp at. Guilt tearing at her heart, Lucy moved breathlessly through the vegetation. The Royal Woods Ball of the Undead had vanished from sight with how far she'd wandered into those woods but she had found little sign of the boy that she'd been looking for. All she could make out was the occasional snapped branch along the side of a tree or some brushed-aside leaves. It was enough to keep her on her path, but it hardly showed her signs of the boy she'd been after. Had she cared she may have been surprised to see some of the formations of the paths she came across to be somewhat familiar, but it wasn't until she got to the main one that she was forced to take notice. Once she had taken into account the structure of the main passage that she stumbled into it didn't take that much to pinpoint just where she was in relation to where the event she and Lincoln had arrived at was taking place. Nor was it much of a leap in logic to figure where the person she'd been following must have wandered off to.

With how brightly-lit the trails of Tall Timbers Park were under the celestial body drifting in the sky above it did not take Lucy long to find her way to the makeshift path that led to the ill-talked of hideout that her brother and his friend had claimed for themselves years prior. She may have been near-nonunderstanding at the point of its finding, but the structure was barely a secret to someone that overheard the others so often in her sneaking through the underbelly of their house. Having not been as familiar as he with the territory as her brother, it took a few more minutes than she had hoped for but eventually Lucy did manage to stumble her way into the presence of the large boulder that blocked the cave she'd been searching for. As expected from within shone a few flickers of illumination. With her smaller frame and the contorting her body was used to from the passageways she regularly crawled through it was a non-issue to worm her way through the crack of an entrance that the boulder allowed. When she'd gotten inside though her heart hung heavy. There was nearly no effort needed to look around the small chamber that Clyde and Lincoln had decorated the walls with, but aside from a lit candle on a box that'd been set up, there didn't seem to be any signs of life.

Knowing that the owner couldn't have gone far, Lucy made her way back out into the trails. If the candle was lit she was sure that Lincoln would likely be within range to return and put it out, and sure enough once she had investigated a bit further she found some activity. At first she wasn't sure if she'd heard it correctly, but another splash in the creek that ran nearby prompted her to slip through some of the taller grass along the side of the trail she'd been searching on. Following the steady noise of rocks, she continued past the trees until she made her way to a clearing along the bank that the stream ran beside. And as hoped, there sat a boy dressed in black with a similarly colored wig at his side. Carelessly he took a swig of one of the bottles of soda Lucy had seen on a shelf in the cave before tossing another rock into the water.

From what little she could make out of the side of his face when he'd taken the drink, Lincoln's brow had been heavy and the rhythmic pattern with which he threw his pebbles noted an air of pressure around him. Lucy could hardly move. Having finally found him and with him in such a state she had no idea of how to proceed. Did he hate her? He should have. His face hardly held what could be called sympathy. Would he even want to see her? Perhaps not...but...she'd messed up...again...and he did not deserve to be let off without some disclosure. Even if he didn't want to hear it...even if he spited her for her failure and her subsequent undeserved chastising of his reminded assistance...she needed to speak her piece. She didn't know how long she remained at the tree. It was impossible to tell how time ran as she watched the boy vent his frustrations at the water. All she did know was that it felt like hours that she remained stationed at the base of the trees she'd climbed through to reach him. In that tense aggravation her legs felt like they were made of lead. But eventually, whether it be in seconds or by sunrise, he would turn. And she preferred to be the one to make herself known.

Lucy was surprised that her emergence didn't elicit some form of fright from the boy with how most typically reacted to her appearance, but she did know he had felt her before she'd made it to his side. The shift in his form had been minuscule as his ears had picked up whatever impossible noise her approach had made, but she had noticed it. The tossing of his latest rock had paused for only the briefest of microseconds, but it'd been enough to be evident to her. Had they been in lighter spirits she would have had to commend him for maintaining his guise so well. The spirits however were anything but light. They wore like anchors around them, threatening to pull them to the ground and expunge their breaths. The strain in that moonlit clearing was heavy enough that Lucy let it pull her down next to him as she dropped to her knees. Getting no response from him, Lucy bit her inner lips as she tried to steady her throat to talk.

"L-Lincoln..." she choked out, "I-...you...si-...SIGH!" Biting down hard, she pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. The unusual loudness of her tone had at least shifted his eyes to her. "I c-can't...I'm stupid! I'm stupid and dumb and deserve to die! I know that! I know you hate me and I deserve whatever you have to say! I shouldn't have yelled at you and I shouldn't have gotten distracted and-and-and-"

"Lucy," Lincoln interrupted. Her lower jaw rocked back and forth against her upper one as her shaky face looked to him. To her shock his expression didn't bear features of contempt, but rather worry. Concern. For her. "I don't hate you," he told her. Lucy stared at him for a moment. And then the birds flew from their nighttime perches in the trees around them. The girl's wailing cry cut through the nighttime air like a knife as she fell against his shoulder sobbing. Any form of emotional expression was alien coming from the monotone goth next to him, but the display of sorrow called for the arm he put around her. Lincoln didn't care how ruined the shoulder of his ruffled coat would become under the tears of the younger girl as long as it helped calm her back to a state of decency. Her weeping faded into sniffs as he rubbed her other side with the hand he ran along her arm.

"W-why?..." Lucy sniffled. Lincoln lifted a brow to her. "Why d-don't you...hate me?...I was...I said-"

"Why should I?" he asked as her head lifted from the shrug his shoulders gave. Before she could return it to its resting spot, Lincoln pulled out a piece of paper from the other side of his body to show the girl. "It's not like you hate me," he said with a light-hearted smirk, "Do ya?" Lucy put her hands to her flushed face at the sight of the picture he held before her. Staring back at her was a drawing. Her drawing. The one that she'd done at school earlier in the week of herself and Lincoln.

"W-where d-did you g-get that?..." she choked, "I p-put that in...in...my...coff...in..." Realizing she'd forgotten to remove it before Lincoln had taken up residence in her sleeping quarters the day before, Lucy lowered her head in embarrassment.

"So that's where I picked it up!" Lincoln exclaimed, "I was about ready to tear the pant-leg of this suit off when I sat down and felt that crinkle in it again. Just had to dig a little deeper than I thought and then this came right out of the back pocket!" Even if Lincoln found some victory in the situation, Lucy proceeded to poke her fingers together nervously.

"Well...I mean...it COULD be a drawing I made," she mumbled, "I-I've done a few throughout my life so it could be...ya know... Lynn's or Luna's or something. I mean I did leave "a" drawing in there but now that I look at it a bit closer I-"

"You really think I can't tell the work of the girl that made me one of my favorite comics?" Lincoln asked pressing his nose up against her's. Blushing from the contact and compliment, Lucy turned her head to the water before them. She'd try to keep her face from the sight, but now instead of Lincoln looking back in her direction it was the face of a black-haired girl with streaks of water dampening the sides of her cheeks. Bringing her knees to her chest again, she lowered her vision into them and let herself fall against her brother as he pulled her huddled figure to him. Their bodies waited before the glint of the moon that reflected against them in the water until what was left of her trembling subsided. In those woods so void of noise and sparkling with night-time light it truly did feel magical once they'd allowed themselves to succumb to the serene scenery they dwelled in.

"I could never hate you..." Lincoln's voice murmured into the body that rested against his, "Get annoyed at you? Yeah. You botched our last chance. But...you're eight. You've still got a ways to go. This is not the end of the world. Yeah, you got mad, and I think I was right to be a bit mad too but...I love you. You love me. That isn't gonna change." Lucy merely blushed at the words as her eyes drifted towards the picture he'd set on the ground between them.

"Lincoln...I'm soooo...sorry..." she apologized as she pressed her face into his neck, "You have to understand, I...I'd never want to hurt you. I just-"

"Got mad," Lincoln reiterated, "Like I said, I get it. I just...I needed to get out of there ya know? That whole week of practice down the drain and then you yelling and...sigh..." The two looked away from each other. They weren't used to tackling a conflict between them so directly. The confiding almost felt...nice. "I didn't want to continue that with my...favorite sister..." he murmured. Lucy blushed as she felt his fingers slip into the spaces between her's. Even after all of that...he still referred to her with such reverence. That placement was not a position to be taken lightly, and with how she'd acted she felt ashamed to be given such an honor. But...she was happy. She wasn't necessarily proud of her standing, but moreso the forgiveness. She may not have deserved it in light of how she'd acted, but she didn't know what she would have done if she had lost him. For the entirety of the previous two weeks Lincoln had become her most reliable and interlocked associate she had ever had...and to her thankfulness he did not seem to want that to change.

"You're...right...I do love you..." Lucy told him, "And that's why I'm sorry. I...I was so worried. I didn't want to...hurt you. I just...just wanted everything to stay the same...that's why I kept coming back to you." Lincoln looked to her curiously. He may have not held as much against her as he had after her failure from the last week, but he wasn't exactly uninterested in hearing an explanation as to why she'd thrown their victory in the garbage that night. "You're just...you get me..." she said as she rocked her chest-locked knees back and forth, "You understand me...better than anybody...ever since I can remember you've always...been there for me...and in these last weeks it's...god it's been so...great. I never...thought I could have so much...fun with somebody...I wanted that boy...but I guess I...wanted the person that knew me...more...I loved every second of that dance. Just like I loved every moment we prepared for it...I guess I just didn't want that to change..."

"Then let's not change," Lincoln suggested. Lucy was surprised by the red smile he held. He hadn't exactly been a fan of how Lucy had sidelined the whole reason they'd gone to the dance, but her endearing explanation for the actions almost made up for it. "I...I've had a ton of fun too," he told her grabbing her hand, "I mean, you've always been fun but...yeah...these last two weeks...they've been something else. I mean everything's gonna drop back to more normal crap after tonight, but...I'll always be more ready to hang with you and stuff from now on ya creepy moppet." Grinning at the playful tease, Lucy lay her head against his shoulder once more. With a content breath, Lincoln picked up a rock and tossed it into the creek. "Yeah...we nearly died in that other world," he sighed happily.

"Not to mention that crocodile trap that The Old Maid had," Lucy reminded. Lincoln gave small cough.

"You uh...remember that?" he smiled sheepishly. Lucy smiled back.

"Not everything but...when you told me the "favorite sister" thing when we were up against Gip it...made some of those memories a bit more clear," she told him, "But yeah...I would have absolutely embraced death there if you hadn't gotten me out. And while that is...tempting...I'd prefer for someone I know to join me in it."

"Well...ya know, that you in the other world set a pretty good example of how to do that..." Lincoln joked. Lucy put a finger to her chin in thought and grinned at him. Rolling his eyes, Lincoln pushed her. Recoiling from the motion, she landed back on his shoulder. He didn't mind though. He was just happy to bask in the reminiscing of their adventures while their eased reflections flowed before them. "You know...the dance was probably far from over when we left..." Lincoln said quietly causing Lucy to look up at him. Noticing the small smile he held, Lucy gave her own and stood up.

"Well...if we hurry we might be able to get one more in...if you want..." she told him holding her hand out. Grinning he grabbed it and let Lucy pull him to his feet.

"Then let's get going...partner..." Lincoln said. With happy smiles, the two headed back into the forest.

* * *

As the night had gone on the cars lining the side of the road next to The Royal Woods Ball of the Undead had thinned. Even the portion of the community that so lusciously worshiped the creatures of the night that they strove to be had to sleep and with the hour or so that had progressed, their mortal needs had either forced them to depart for their slumber or those of the older age group had taken to spending more secluded time away from the party in more private sects. The younger boy and girl that had run off into the woods could see clearly the depleting attendees as they made their way back from the normal streets that flowed from Tall Timbers Park. It may have been more riveting to take off into the forest itself for an adventure, but it was much easier to navigate their way back to their previous location by more normal means. As they came to the sight of the two guards that had analyzed them when they'd first arrived, Lucy and Lincoln nodded to them. The older goths may not have remembered them leaving, but recognizing them from before, they did the same as they passed and made their way through the tunnel of trees that led to the dance-grounds.

The scene at the "party" itself held little more promise. With how drained everyone had gotten from the activities in their absence, few participants of the event remained to keep the Loud kids company. Which was fine by them. That made it all the more easy for the two to enjoy the leniency they were allowed in the wasteland of party cups and overturned chairs that some of the staff had taken to cleaning up. One such janitor received quite a shock when Lucy seemingly materialized from the mound of the plastic casings that they were about to brush away leaving him to have another near heart-attack at the sight of her brother who had silently walked up behind him. As the recovering teen retreated from them panting, Lucy and Lincoln grinned to each other. Taking advantage of the spent blood-like punch towards the entrance, the two drizzled the coloring over their heads with some cups and used the dripping fluid to send a few of the remaining attendees into a panic with the emergence of "zombies" that they mimicked as they approached them. It may have driven even more, mostly drunk, participants from the emptying event, but the two kids' enthusiasm only climbed higher.

Most of the remaining time of the festivities continued on like that with the two returned Loud children wrecking whatever joyful havoc they could on the remaining dreary youth. By the time they'd stolen themselves away to a relaxed perch on the strung-up decorations in the trees above, most of those that had been left had filed out until only a handful of goths remained. Not a single one of the Morticians Club members had stayed, save for Lucy herself. Viewing their handiwork, she rested her somewhat tired face against her brother's arm. The faint scent of punch clung to strands of hair at the top of her head even with the thorough washing they'd given their craniums with some water bottles they'd found lying around. Lincoln didn't mind though. It was evidence of their prolonged activities of that night, signs of their enjoyment. And perhaps that is what mattered to them the most. Their time together. With all that they'd put themselves through to get to that point, maybe the boy she had been after hadn't been the motive. As she nuzzled her face into his neck, Lucy enriched herself in the scents she inhaled from the companion they'd crafted for her. Maybe that fellowship had been the motive. Maybe HE had been the motive.

And as they looked down upon the magical dimly lit scene of the Royal Woods Ball of the Undead's remains below she began to settle into the happiness of their triumph. It hadn't been about that boy from Goth Mic Night. It'd been about that bond that she'd so reluctantly desired with someone. A true unfailing dependent that would always be there for her, and she for them. It'd been about him. Lincoln blushed from the touch her lips gave his neck before feeling another nuzzle from her raven-colored hair. Happily he stroked her side. They would have probably remained sitting together in their contentedness for most of the night had a participant from the ground not elicited their involvement. With Bertrand having left with the last of the Morticians Club members to catch up with what he had missed since his time away from the community, a slightly older goth had taken his place in making the announcements.

"For those still remaining, we invite you to one last dance," he called over the loudspeakers, "Please give forth your hearts in this final orchestration." As he bowed, the lights of the stage dimmed to just the beams of those cast on the remaining band-members. As the beckoning starting tunes of the violin sounded out throughout the more vacant grounds of the event, Lincoln pulled Lucy's hand and smiled at her blushing face. Happy to take the offering, she nodded and accompanied Lincoln to the base of the tree where they took off towards the main dance-floor of the gathering. With how few participants had been left and the relaxed nature of the worn band, few dancers felt the need to adhere to the more formal structure of the earlier sessions. Even so, Lincoln insisted on beginning their movements proper with a kiss to the girl's hand, albeit quicker than before. More than eager, Lucy practically threw her body against his as they grabbed their hands together and stepped into the rhythmic sway of their routine.

The steps they took were more clumsy than previously. They no longer had a mission. All that was left was for them to enjoy themselves, and that was what they were doing. Together the boy and girl swung their way throughout the sparse crowd of strangers that littered the grounds, and in that swinging, Lucy pulled the black wig from Lincoln's head. The motion shocked her disguised "date" even as he viewed her smirk.

"Lincoln, none of these people know either of us," she assured him, "And besides...I said I prefer your actual hair..." After giving a shifty eye around the gathered goths in his own scan of the faces around them, he sighed and smiled back. Like jello, Lucy felt her body sink against his as she rested her cheek against his collar. The lingering scents of the "blood" punch mixed with her hair's own odor as it brushed along his nose in the slower swaying they'd taken to displaying. They couldn't have asked for a more content last dance. For the first time in her life Lucy had a partner. A true, actual...companion. She'd had had her brief bouts of affiliates over the years with Haiku's kinship being the most endearing, and she did care for her siblings, but the amity she felt for the boy before her...it had been alien to her less than a month ago. She may have always craved it, but it'd remained at a distance...until now.

Pulling back, Lucy looked up to the smile his half-lidded eyes gave to her. Thinking back on it it was hard to even picture the boy she'd been after. Every time she thought about him her mind tried to put the one she'd come to admire in his place. She had to forcibly make herself remember what the boy at those Goth Mic Night sessions had looked like. She had to give an effort to separate the minuscule distinctions between them until finally that effort became too great. Lincoln's own content simper could tell nothing of the thoughts behind the girl's blank stare. He just assumed that Lucy had put on her default expression of emotionlessness until she eventually broke from her patterned movements. As the pipe organ gave its latest louder expulsion, Lucy's body leaned back a tiny bit. Her body bounced from the bend her knees took and as the note hit its zenith so too did she. At first Lincoln couldn't tell what had happened. He didn't understand what the softness against his lips was.

It may have been the suddenness of the action or the unbelievability of them, but in the amount of seconds that the kiss lasted, his face bled with color as his mind caught up to the lips that pressed against his. His eyes darted around hesitantly. The moral confliction of the unexpected act demanded the panic that his look-around showed. As much as he might want to believe otherwise however, the pressure against his lower-face was not at all unpleasant. It's not like there hadn't been kisses between the family members before...but that one she gave...that wasn't meant for family. And for as perfectly as he might have played the role of her "boyfriend" on that night, no amount of weeks of preparation could have readied him for that. He didn't know if it was his dedication to the role or the insistence of the scene itself, but he found his body appreciating its touch. With the lack of attention given by the other intimate couples he fell into his own admiration in that moment. His mind fought effortlessly against itself as his eyelids closed over their ascending occupants while his head tilted to allow the girl a deeper lock against his mouth.

It may have been foolish. It may have been wrong. But in those moments...it was right.

However long the kiss lingered they didn't know. They didn't care. Delight was their master, and nothing satiated it more than the physicality of their union. But eventually it did come to an end, and when it did every last bit of those feelings flipped for the girl. For a brief fraction of a moment once she had parted her lip's from Lincoln's, Lucy's welling joyfulness clung to her. But the instant that she realized just who it was that she had kissed she recoiled with a gasp. It hadn't been the word. As with her other rare breaks from the verbal statements of her actions that night, she gave a true whole-hearted gasp of shame or shock...or a mixture of both. In her brother's arms she could hardly fall away from him, but her body didn't relent much against the embrace that it fought against her returning senses to remain within.

Lincoln too had shared a look of bewilderment. He had almost questioned if the entire night had been a dream with what had just happened. There'd certainly been enough fantastic moments throughout it to consider that. But it wasn't. That was plain to tell. Recovering from the impermissible act, he eyed the girl before him. She was scared. Confused. Conflicted over whether she should be feeling the happiness that she had. That they had. Looking downwards for a brief moment in thought, Lincoln sighed. Whatever they had done...they'd done it...and they'd meant it. There was no hiding the enjoyment they'd shared. And with the anxiousness on Lucy's face Lincoln knew the assurance she needed. She wasn't alone. Ever. Not with him around. Looking back up to her with a reluctant but warm smile, Lincoln tilted his head forward. Lucy felt her hair stand on end as her own lips were given a rematch by their opponent's. Her eyes locked onto his. She could almost have sworn her hair was invisible with how his pupils looked into her's. Gathering a sense of admittance from the comforting view, Lucy's eyes rolled back up into her closing eyelids as she leaned further into the reignited lip-lock.

Their joined figures rocked slowly to the waning beat beneath the pale moonlight.

* * *

Through the darkened streets of Royal Woods a wind had rekindled. It hadn't been of force or by nature, but moreso by vigor. The leaves once blown by the currents of the land now flowed with those of that which dwelled upon it. At such an ungodly hour even the most macabre of the town's residents didn't generally walk the streets. Not for fear of the night but more for lack of action. There was nothing to partake in with the rest of society tucked away in their slumber. Some may have fancied a trip to the community's graveyard, but even then most had reserved themselves for the day ahead. The long-awaited Royal Woods Ball of the Undead had seen a few more passerbys returning to their abodes along the streets, but by the time it had come to its close most were already returned to their destinations. And yet some paths from the concluded event still beat with life.

Like bats on the wind, the two children ran hand in hand across the nightly landscape. They hadn't known at what hour the dance had ended at, nor did they care. In the laughter they gave, time had no meaning. As they did before the dance they dashed through those empty streets of solitude with the moon beaming down on them, only now they had purpose. Understanding. Cutting through a small park Lincoln pulled Lucy up to his pace. Grinning at catching up to him, she grabbed his other hand and pulled him as she spun her body. The two giggled in the twirl they traveled through. They had rarely felt such bemusement, least of all with the dark-clad girl of the household involved. But on that night she danced. She loved. She was happy. Because of him. The blurs of the playsets and trees around them flowed back into their natural shapes as the spinning slowed. As their progress resumed Lucy's feet left the ground. Lincoln hadn't expected the jump she made, but his body worked in tune with her's as she hopped up onto his back.

Grinning mischievously he gave as much effort as he could to continue his speed while she clung to him. After a few dry laughs, Lucy nuzzled her face into his throat and started kissing him along his cheek. The rewarding pecks faltered his acceleration a few degrees, but he kept up the race towards the oncoming barber shop at the exit of the park. With the girl on his back still giving the occasional kiss, Lincoln smiled at an idea that formed in his head. He didn't necessarily want the affection to stop, but it would help him focus on his steps. Falling into the pattern at which Lucy was putting her lips to his cheek, Lincoln thought out the timing of his actions and turned the front of his face to the side as her lips approached again. She bounced back in surprise at the soft surface her lips touched but once she'd realized where they'd connected she gave a him a blushing smile. She slid down from her piggyback ride as Lincoln came to a stop from the exchanged lips. With the more stilled positioning of their feet, Lucy's approach became slower and more calculated. Her lips though yearned for the touch of his.

In the lamp-lit main pathway of the park the two youths connected. More slowly and methodically their mouths pressed at each other. They wanted to feel each other. Know each other. It was about half a minute that their mouths grappled before they began to separate. With the shadows of moths flickering the illumination around them in and out, they stared at each other. The girl hardly gave a reaction as Lincoln slid his hand up to her face and along the side of it. There was a soft utterance of breath from the surprised touch, but hardly anything to indicate denial. Lucy had never...felt someone so close to her before. And with how the "date" had gone, it seemed only deserving to allow such invasion. Giving her one last look of permission, Lincoln lowered his smile and cupped the hand beneath her hair around half of the strands that blocked her upper face from view. He felt a stranglehold on his heart as he moved his fingers, but once he had withdrawn that portion of the veil it welled. Neither he nor Lucy knew what to say. Their words were lost in the undone privacy. For seconds, maybe minutes, he stared into that unknowable sight. But he'd been allowed, and with that admittance she'd given herself to him. Their link...it was something that couldn't be taken back. Quietly their lips touched again. They did so a few more times before retiring their energy.

Returning their focus to the barber shop beyond, they exited the park and made a right once they'd gotten to the building. After their display of affection they'd fallen into a less frantic stride, but once their house had come into sight it became even more relaxed. Even if their jog had slowed their hands still remained locked. Smiling to each other as they got to the steps of their dwelling, Lincoln and Lucy shared one last, somewhat lengthy, kiss. Their hands were still intertwined they approached the door. Based on the darkness of the windows, it'd been safe to assume that the rest of their family had long since vacated to their beds. The opening of the door itself took a bit longer than expected. With all that they had been through that night their bodies needed some time to readjust and prepare for its end. Giddy with contentedness, Lucy and Lincoln smiled at each other and sighed. They may not have achieved what they'd set out to do, but the goal they had reached...it was better. Their affection for each other may not have been able to be shown as prominently afterwards as it was on that night, but they knew they would always be there for each other. No matter what. With that comfort Lincoln grabbed the doorknob and turned it.

As predicted all that greeted the returning children was empty blackness. Neither had expected an immediate visual of just what the living room looked like given what they could see of the house's rooms from the outside. Due to their time in the nightly environment however, their adapted sight focused in on the blinded shapes before them and began sorting through the darkened hues and distance between them quicker than they'd anticipated. Before long Lincoln had come to realize just where the couch and tables and such were stationed as Lucy's veteran nocturnal eyes had seconds prior. One thing that may have helped speed their observations along however might have been the brief glint of light that had filtered its shine across their pupils and splayed shadows ever so lightly across the room from its point. They had no time to deduce just who the figure holding the phone belonged to before it reached for the lamp next to them and pulled the switch on it.

Lincoln and Lucy put their hands up in front of their faces to try and block the blinding light that burned at their vision as the room lit up. In annoyance they rubbed at their dilating optics. The light burned like it would towards the creature of the night that the young goth girl so wished to be. Unlike the effects it might have held for such a creature though, the two children's eyesights did return to them after a number of seconds, though Lucy still scratched at her's. Once she had spared enough annoyance to direct her line of sight, she joined her brother in his more worrisome gaze. Sitting before them on the couch was the eldest sister of the household, and the only one that hadn't helped them prepare for their fated night. She may have put on a smile to welcome them, but her body held just as much of an air of resistance towards them as it had when they'd parted with her. Joined at the side, Lucy and Lincoln squeezed their hands together behind their backs as the older girl got up and walked towards them.

"Well well well..." Lori murmured through her forced expression, "And just where have you two been? I know it's some freak-goth get-together, but you literally stayed out until EVERYONE was in bed. You even outlasted me and dad's midnight movies." Lincoln gulped and took a small step back with the younger sister from the sight of Lori's approaching figure. Lucy may not have shown it, but her own anxiousness had been rising tremendously with each advance of the older girl's legs. Their worry heightened as Lori came to a stop only inches from them and bent over. They would have likely backed up all the way to the front door if that hadn't drawn more unnecessary attention under her accusing watch. To their surprise however, her face dropped into more excited features as her gossiping nature took hold. "So was it fun? Did ya see anybody from school? Was the guy there? Oh, did he see you? You two got him right? I mean you literally had to with how dressed up you were. I was looking through the pictures dad got and you two are just adorable. There's no way that he could have not wanted you looking like that. You should have totally asked Lola for some help in teasing, I know she knows a thing or two-"

Lincoln and Lucy turned to each other and let out a sigh of relief. They couldn't believe the inquiry they were being given with how threateningly the oldest sister's body language had greeted them. As their bodies eased into more comfortable slouches they shot each other brief glimpses and smirks beneath the babbling of Lori's distracted mouth. What she wasn't distracted from though were the markings along the boy's face as they returned the position of their heads to her. Her concentration may have been distanced in the fantasies of the exciting premise of their night that'd she'd reluctantly not stood in the way of, but it was just sharpened enough to take notice of the stains of affection. With which sibling bore the passionate scarring though, her eyes narrowed as her words slowed. Eyeing the slight smudges across Lucy's own lips, Lori bent over and ran her finger along Lincoln's. The kiss marks along his revealed cheek may have been hard to ignore, but the smears of black at his mouth made for a more effective point.

"What...," she muttered as she stood up rubbing the lip-makeup between her fingers and snapping her view over to Lucy, "is...this?..." The only sign of the failing confidence that the two children before her gave was the shrinking of the pupils in their eyes. In their bodies however their organs whirled around each other while the more judgmental demeanor of the older sister began to return. As they had before departing, Lucy and Lincoln's senses picked up on that odd feeling they'd gotten from Lori's "reminder", only now it was accompanied by the steadily climbing glower of persecution that she towered over the perceived culprits with. In their throats, Lincoln and Lucy tested their vocals to try and force words out but kept their mouths shut knowing that a falter in their response would only offer Lori the allowance her authoritative gaze sought.

"...what?" Lucy eventually managed to shrug, "It's a "goth" gathering. Most of the girls have black lipstick. You can't blame me if he got lucky." Lori lifted her brow. The reasoning was impressively coherent under the pressure she gave the two.

"Then what's with yours?" she murmured drawing attention to the mismanaged state of Lucy's own mouth. Blushing, the younger girl tilted her smiling head downwards.

"I didn't say I didn't...get lucky too..." Lucy mumbled. Lincoln blushed a fair amount as she twirled one of the bangs that faced his side with her fingers. Fortunately for him, Lori's focus was fixed on the girl that had made the claim. It lowed back into its former trappings though as she thought over its ramifications.

"So when's your guys' next date then?" she asked. Lincoln was thankful Lucy had her head down. From the angle that it was pointed only he could see the slight squiggle that her mouth became with the further thinking she had to muster.

"...sigh..." she said settling on an answer more in-line with her dreariness, "it twas not to be. He was...incredible...amazing..." Lincoln did his best to keep his airflow consistent so as to stave off any oncoming reaction to the compliments she was giving her "crush". "...more than I could have ever hoped for..." she said squeezing his hand behind their backs, "...but...he...he..." While Lori may have had her suspicions, she couldn't help but let her eyes to grow in the building suspense. "He liked Princess Pony..." she sighed, "It...it just wouldn't have worked out..." Lori blinked a couple of times as she tried to cope with the harrowing revelation.

"Oh...damn, tough break," she sighed, "...sorry Luce...but ya know, you could have always handed him off to Lincoln." Lucy was not spared from the glare he gave but with her excuse presented all she could do was give him an apologetic grin from her downed face.

"Well...perhaps I'll keep that in mind for next time..." Lucy murmured, "Though...he may have his hands full already given how things went...tonight..." Lincoln's glare faded as his face became overtaken by a more questionable fluster. But whatever the meaning behind his "partner"'s words were he didn't have time to sort through them before her eager hands began pulling his towards the stairs. "We really must be getting to bed though. It is rather late, even for me," Lucy excused herself as she proceeded to drag her brother up the steps believing the business with their "welcoming committee" to have been concluded. Lori though did not seem to agree. As she thought through their rushed exit, she turned to see the possible implications that she'd cornered them over once her eyes spotted the link their hands provided between each other. They looked to be as tightly woven as their interactions had ever been throughout the last two weeks even though their "mission" had apparently finished.

"Next time?" Lori repeated dubiously causing the two to slow as they came to the top of the stairs, "This was it. You guys got ready, you went, you scored. Now it's over. No more of..."this"...right?" Lucy and Lincoln looked at the joined appendages that Lori peered at. For the briefest of moments they could feel their grasp slipping away from each other. With tempting grins however, the fingers of the hands coiled back around each other and they smiled back down at the teenager.

"Gasp, but why not?" Lucy asked feigning worry over the persistent divide Lori seemed intent on imparting, "After such a rousing performance how could I not enlist such help elsewhere? Who knows, he might be just good enough to fill that spot himself someday. Isn't that right my wilted rose?"

"Oh no doubt my queen of the night," Lincoln joined in rubbing his nose against that of his "girlfriend", "sigh, if only they who has such years of experience could see the compatibility. I doubt any girl could ever match your romanticizing of the macabre dear sister..." If Lori had been wary of their partnership in the days leading up to the dance she flat out jumped out of her skin at the unexpected affection that the younger Louds at the top of the steps dared to display towards each other. Their nuzzling lasted a good couple of seconds until they were sure that Lori had gotten her fill of the flirtations she found so unnerving. Not wanting to give her time to question the sincerity of their "act", Lucy and Lincoln smirked at each other and fell back into more normal standing positions to face Lori.

"Ha ha. Ha ha. Ha ha," they both said as emotionlessly as possible holding each other with arms that they slid behind their backs.

"Yugh!" Lori's taunt-ridden face blurted at the creepy conjoined finale they gave to their skit. "Don't EVER do that again!" they heard her cry as her shaking form disappeared into the kitchen. Hearing the turn of the knobs at the sink and the splashes of water that Lori tried to calm her face with afterwards Lincoln gave a small chuckle. Decently amused herself, Lucy gave her own statement of the word used to describe the act. Egged on by the unusual habit of his partner he gave a few more and she did the same in the form of her words. And then a few more. And more. And then Lucy stopped using words. Miracles were performed that night with how often she'd broken from her verbal patterns to join in with the actual physical acts of the things she'd normally describe, only this time it wouldn't stop. Unlike with a simple intake of air, Lucy's authentic participation in the joyful act ensured a natural duration of the delighted vocals.

Had it been a week before, Lincoln would have probably stopped in disturbed surprise with how the giggles and eventually full-blown laughter from the normally monotone girl echoed through the upstairs hallway but with all that they'd been through that night it merely served as an exuberant cap to their escapades. He couldn't have been more happy in their shared jeering against their older sibling. Those that didn't find the unbelievable act as delightful however were the heads of the rest of their sisters who began poking out of their rooms to view the strange noises. While most had been safely tucked in their beds, the uninvited rings of joy had warranted proper study. And it...was eerie. Lana and Luan at least had preparation for the shocking occurrence from the Friday before, but even the jokester of the household had to gawk at the stale girl's laughter. As Lincoln and Lucy's cackling died back into chuckling and eventually subsided, they realized the attention they'd drawn as they started to catch their breaths. Silence overtaking the observed pair, Lincoln gave a small cough while Lucy's former mask of dour cloaked its break of excitement.

"Beat it," she growled jabbing a thumb behind her. Immediately the heads of their siblings fled back into their rooms in fright. Once they'd looked the hall over for any other trespassers, Lucy turned back to Lincoln. Her head low, she murmured something under her breath while he kicked the ground nervously. He barely even noticed her hand slip back into his from how aligned their actions had become. In the moments they continued to dawdle in the hallway the thoughts of a discussion crossed their minds a couple of times, but each time one would gather up the effort to speak nothing came out. Their voices just pooled in the backs of their throats as they had initially when they'd been under Lori's condemnatory figure. Now however their lack of pronunciation came from contentness rather than fear. Words weren't needed. They knew each other and what they were thinking. With thankful smiles they clacked their foreheads together and parted. Their jubilant expressions remained fixed on each other as they slipped into their rooms and shut their doors.

-end of chapter-

Dear lord that was a ton of writing. You have no idea how many weeks I spent on this chapter. Hope it was worth it. After all the troubles and mishaps throughout the last two weeks in the story we finally got there. It may have been an excessive buildup, but I'd always planned for this to be essentially how it played out in the end. There may be one more chapter after this, but it's nice to finally have the dance done.


	19. It's Not Like We'll Never Know Love

Chapter 16: It's Not Like We'll Never Know Love

In the weeks following The Royal Woods Ball of the Undead life around the Loud House slowly fell back more into normalcy. Well...as normal as life got for Royal Wood's flock of a family. For the first couple of days fewer sisters than normal spent their time around the black and white-haired members of the family after the unnerving demonstration they'd put on for Lori that night and the equally as disturbing display of actual laughter that followed from the goth girl. On the rare occasion one might try to get more information about just how that night had gone, but more often than not they stayed to themselves to give some space after the pair's failure on that night if nothing else. For Lucy that meant mostly the same as the amount of attention she usually received, though with the forced distancing of her former partner as well. It wasn't that they wished to stay apart. Far from it. In the isolation that the other children enforced Lucy would have loved the company that her newfound companion had provided throughout those two weeks, but they knew that would likely draw unwanted focus in the aftermath of the ordeals that the others had found out about. No, for the sake of their family's recovering atmosphere Lincoln and Lucy knew they had to make the sacrifice, for a while at least. For the days that dragged by afterwards all they could truly allow was the brief glimpses they flashed at each other whenever they crossed paths. But those glimpses were all that they needed.

They knew before long that the usual chaos of the family would fall back into line and their more standard interactions would slide into frame next to those of their siblings. Until that time their uncommon glances towards each other gave them the air of support they sought. For Lincoln though the distancing from the rest of the family, while not unknown to him, took longer to get used to than it did for the vampire-fanatic of the family. Once he'd realized the benefits of the undisturbed alone time however it became quite a bit more manageable. Just laying around in his underwear reading comic books and playing video games to his heart's content. That was the life. And it did wonders to pull him back into his more normal habits. For as much fun as he had had transforming into that gothic heartthrob, he couldn't believe the relief that came with the return to his former activities. It was as a though weight lifted from his shoulders each time he played another game. He would always love Lucy, but the sense of comfort that came with his resumed lifestyle was intoxicating.

That was likely why Lincoln was able to enjoy a steadier readjustment back into their clan once the events of that night had grown remote enough. As with most of the absurd trivialities that their family seemed to incite, so too did his and Lucy's failed "mission" drift into the background of their family's memories. Soon enough it was nearly forgotten about in favor of whatever oncoming conflicts the rest of their pack deemed noteworthy. Be it Luna's duel against the Metalheads that she'd offended or Lola's war against the other pageant queens when the judges hadn't been able to decide on a winner. Like clockwork the calamities of their household continued to interrupt the peace that their kind could only dream of. In time the former "partners" would find themselves participating in all manners of assistance towards whatever new agendas took hold. But those moments that they found each other as kindred participants, they allowed themselves that rekindled sense of companionship. Even if they were against each other at times, beneath the conflicts they delighted in the meetings.

It was probably around the incident of Lana and Leni's revolution to free the bears at the zoo that most of the sisters had forgotten, or at least stopped caring, about whatever issues there might have been with Lincoln and Lucy's prior agenda. Once a few jokes had been tossed around at the expense of the faded memories of their escapades it had been pretty safe to assume that whatever ill view the others might have had had passed into fonder reminiscing. Whatever thoughts the others had about their past partnership, Lucy and Lincoln found it progressively more relaxing to interact with each other under the view of whomever was around them. The others may have felt the strength of their bond whenever they'd acknowledge each other or worked off of each other's quips for some input into whatever conflict had arisen, but they either grew oblivious towards it or couldn't find the strength to care. And that was just fine by Lincoln and Lucy. As the days went on it was nice to have their warped lives settle back into more normal statuses, and even better still to continue enjoying that consequential link they'd formed in their time together.

For Lucy...she'd been left conflicted for a time following the conclusion of their dilemma. She wasn't sure just what she should have felt. On one hand she had completely lost out on any chance to attain the boy that she had worked so hard to acquire. She had utterly transformed her brother for essentially no reason...but on the other hand...she had had one of the best nights of her entire life. Lucy had loved every second of that unadulterated understanding they'd developed with each other. And thinking on the visuals of the boy she had been after...maybe that had been her true prize. Maybe she had wanted someone that she...held so dear to...love her back. Not say they loved her but to...love her. And he did. She knew that. And she could take comfort in that. Whatever cruel dark bleakness might await her in the future, she could always find warmth in that connection. It may have taken a ludicrous amount of effort to accomplish the formation of a bond that felt so simple, but every moment had been worth it.

That is what she felt as she looked to where her brother was from where she sat in the bus on one of the anniversaries of their failed venture. The "mission" had been a disaster in planning, but any sight they shared of each other afterwards was one of delight. With a happy sigh, Lucy turned her face to lay on the hand she'd erected at her window. They suffered more ridicule from their less outcasted siblings, but solace could be gathered from each other. Even with her fading disdain towards the betrayal that she'd felt from Haiku that night it'd been surprisingly copeable whenever Lucy glimpsed who she herself had gained from the experience. A few rows back she could hear the twins going on about whatever activities they had planned for the weekend. There'd been brief mentions of the homework they'd been left with over break, but that faded in favor of the excitements that their luxurious time off granted. As the transport slowed and came to a halt the Loud children straightened themselves to prepare for departure. With how often they took the bus, the amount of stops it took to get to their street had become so ingrained into their heads that they didn't even need to look out the windows to confirm its position.

Bidding his temporary farewell to Clyde, Lincoln hopped into the center aisle and tore to the door as it hissed open. Even if the race to the school's exit had been lost yet again to Girl Jordan's surprisingly rough competition, there was still the one to be had to the house itself. Lincoln may not have been one to always partake in Lola and Lana's run, but with how often Girl Jordan had bested him in the past few weeks he sought a victory. It wasn't enough that the girl seemed to have been aiming for him more during dodgeball as of late, but now she seemed intent on disallowing him any satisfaction. Fueled by his repressed triumphs, Lincoln bolted down the sidewalk. Having realized the intent of their brother as they'd clamored to get off the bus and overtake him, Lola and Lana sprang into action trying to catch up. The feat proved next to impossible given how much longer his legs were, but they did whatever they could to try and gain some advantage. With how short the space between the end of their block and the house was there wasn't much of a window to work in. They shouted and yelled but their threats were lost on Lincoln's shrinking figure.

He had just gotten to Mr. Grouse's house when Lana played one last card. Noticing a line of pink shoot past his side, Lincoln turned to see blurs of blues and pinkish red streak past on the frog that the line was connected to. He realized just how the twins had rocketed past him as he put his arms up to block the feet that launched at him from the tree that Hopps's tongue had grabbed onto. With a grunt he skidded backwards. With how the twins bounced off of him both Lola and Lana had landed nearer towards the door than he'd gotten. The more boyish of the two however seemed intent on denying him his victory. As Hopps's tongue pulled back into his mouth, Lana kicked at her brother's legs. In the adrenaline that came with the competition it wasn't hard for Lincoln to jump over the swipes, but the distraction allowed the other glory-hogging twin to make her own dash for the door. Knocking Lana's feet to the side with a kick of his own, Lincoln tried to go around her left before backing away at the clawing she gave and slipping past on the other side. But he didn't have time to smirk at the successful fake-out he'd pulled off.

With how close Lola had gotten to the doorknob there wasn't a chance for anything other than contention. Knowing that there was little that could stop her, the girliest member of the household slowed her stride as she turned and walked backwards to flash her grin at her opponent. The sight before her however caused her to nearly double-back around in alarm. Noticing the expression himself, Lincoln blinked and moved to the side. Whatever had spooked the younger girl hadn't been him, and sure enough as he stepped out of the way a long tongue shot past him. Letting out a relentless cry, Lana shot forward with the aide of the green companion that she clung to and slammed right into the other blond. Viciously the look-a-likes proceeded to tear each other to pieces. For some it would have been and indication to stay away, but for Lincoln it was the opportunity he'd needed. With the younger siblings distracted he ran right past their struggling bodies and grabbed the doorknob. With a loud "thwack!" the door swung open and hit the inside wall of the house allowing Lincoln to step forward. Putting his hands to his hips, the boy breathed a proud sigh of relief.

And then got run over.

Even into the building itself Lola and Lana scratched and bit at each other. Lincoln's domination over their match was completely lost on their prolonged conflict. As the dust-cloud that the younger sisters kicked up bounced around the living room and into the kitchen Lincoln began to pull himself up from where he'd been trampled. His upper and lower sets of teeth felt like they'd been crammed between each other and his bones felt like powder, but his wobble to his feet was one of success.

"Wow Lincoln, school must have "squashed" you today!" Luan laughed as she let her feet fall back to the ground from where she'd pulled them up when the twins' tornado had brushed by the couch, "You look like you just "deflated" under the "pressure"!" Lincoln rolled his eyes once he was sure his appendages had all regained their former shapes. Lisa may have taken measures to ensure that the comedian wouldn't be able to manipulate her devices as easily after all that chaos that had come from her hijacking a few weeks back, but that didn't stop the teenage Marx-Brother-wannabe from doing what she could to damage his mentality. "Aw, don't "fall to pieces"!" Luan giggled at Lincoln's souring face, "I'm sure your cookie hasn't "crumbled" completely just yet!" Lincoln sneered as he attempted to block out the continuing jests of the older sister. To help divert his attention, the smallest attendee of Royal Woods Elementary scuttled by completely oblivious to the conflict that had brought the others into the house or the joshing of the light-hearted nuisance on the couch. To Lincoln's surprise though Lisa seemed to be the only one left to enter. With how far behind him and the twins Lisa must have been to have taken so long to reach the house he couldn't have imagined that anyone else would have lingered ever farther behind her.

"Hey Lees, where's Lucy?" Lincoln asked. The toddler seemed lost in thought as she continued towards the steps amidst the clatter of the pots and pans in the room next door. "Lisa?" Lincoln repeated a bit more loudly in part to block out whatever vapid nonsense Luan was spouting off next to him. He was about to use her full name when he noticed her head turn to him as the question worked its way through her occupied ears.

"Hm?" the young genius mumbled, "Oh, Lucy's right back...huh..." Lisa let herself gather a brief moment of concern for the absent sibling as she looked around the lobby of the building but there was no sign of the ghoulish girl. "That's odd..." she concluded, "she was right behind me when we got to Mr. Grouse's house." Lincoln continued the search for the unpredictable goth of the family even going so far as to poke his head out the front door to see if she'd been held up. Even Luan gave a few scans of her own around the room once the dilemma her younger siblings presented had overtaken her ignored jokes. Figuring that Lucy must have been fine if they had confirmation that she'd made it to at least their neighbor's house, Lincoln shrugged. Given how she was she had likely slipped into the house somewhere unseen when the others hadn't been looking.

"Well...she'll probably turn up somewhere. Thanks anyway Lees, I-" Lincoln started to say, but by the time he'd turned his attention back to the scientist she was already halfway to the top of the steps. Rolling his eyes, he made his own way to them and got out his walkie-talkie. "Fish Brawler calling Dance Battle. Dance Battle do you copy?" he said into it.

"Dance Battle here Fish Brawler. You still on for tonight?" Clyde responded from the audio-piece. Luan blinked a few times and looked over to the fireplace as he started up the steps. Noticing the tremble of soot from the roof of it that the being within it tried to restrain she smirked. For as sneaky as she was, Luan's theatric protegee had her moments of faltering in the stealth she operated in. Some of the others may have focused on the frights she would usually inadvertently cause for them too much to notice the looser grasp she'd had on her sneaking as of late, but for someone that had known Lucy a bit more intricately her slipups had not been quite lost on Luan. "Totally man, I just gotta sit in on a little rehearsal and then maybe see if I can get someone else before I swing by. But yeah, seven o'clock should be good," Lincoln said into his walkie-talkie and Luan turned her grin to the voice. Perhaps that time together with him had done the black-haired girl some good if it had disrupted her habitual unheard wanderings, even if only slightly.

Lola and Lana limped out of the overturned kitchen as their brother reached the top of the stairs above. Their glares to each other ached with the combat of their failed victory but the bruises hardly felt permanent with the promise of educational freedom for the next few days. They knew that they'd have to clean up the cooking-area before their father got home, but for the time being they settled on simply relaxing their battered bodies. Scooting over, the comedian noticed another shudder of soot as a black-and-white blur slithered out from the opening of the fireplace and creeped around the back of their seats. Whether or not Lucy knew of her futile slinking, it was somewhat adorable to watch the overdramatics of another sibling at work. Confident in her stealth, the younger girl made sure that their brother had vacated from the top of the steps before making her way up. Knowing better than to throw herself into the open, she stopped at the final one to press her back against the wall. As quickly and silently as possible she poked her head out and spun it around.

As predicted Lincoln's back had been to her, but he was heading in the direction she hadn't anticipated. Regardless it did keep him from her path and with how surprisingly adept he could be to catching onto her movements after their...time together, the distance he had between her and him could only be a benefit towards her nature. Lucy was about to make her way to her room but as she put her foot onto the ground of the second floor her face drifted back towards the boy. She peeked down at the book she carried and looked back to him again. Dashing the idea of going after him, she smiled down at her reading material with a faint blush and made her way silently to her room. Both of them heard a faint crackle of energy from whatever experiment Lisa was performing in her own room but paid it no mind. It was just another day in the Loud House.

* * *

Hollow "pok"ing sounds echoed across the driveway of the Loud House as the energetic athlete of the family dribbled a basketball across it. Licking the sweat off of her upper lip, Lynn approached the basket she'd set up on the garage. Her brows furrowed and body tensed as she dodged past the invisible opponents she'd placed around the makeshift courtyard in her head and jumped. Just as the ball left her hands though her eyes widened. Looking up at her from below the point that she tossed the sports-equipment was her real adversary. A girl decorated in black and white. Lucy. Lynn let out a wince as her surprised feet hit the ground sending a shockwave up her body from the impact. Failure rippled across her pained figure as the goalless ball fell back to the ground from where it had bounced off of the ring and rolled across the yard. Shaking her head viciously, Lynn looked back up, but as expected her dreary adversary was gone. All that was left in her place was the view of the garage door.

Grumbling, the older girl limped over to her downed ball and began dribbling it again. For most children the weekend was something delight in. It was a clear-cut paradise free of the hardships of school. But for Lynn it was just another day on the field, and any day she didn't spend improving her craft was a day that might later fall to her enemies. And she couldn't allow that. Though strained in her movements, Lynn started up her next run through the made-up offense she'd placed around the "field". About halfway through the imaginary team however she slowed to a stop. Squinting her eyes, she bent down and rubbed her leg. That really had been a botched landing she'd made. With a sigh she ran her hand along it one last time and fell backwards onto her butt. Ever since she'd started practicing that sport more in the weeks following Lucy's victory over her, she'd been seeing that girl. That young monotone child haunted her every movement on the field. At first. What had originally been incapacitations during the times where she'd participate in basketball at gym had lowered down to the near-nonexistence of Lucy's haunting figure in recent practices. But she would still pop up...sometimes. And as with the shot Lynn had made yesterday, the post-traumatic reminder had faltered her actions once again.

Lynn got back to her feet with a huff. It made no sense. With the "hunt" that she had joined Lola and Lana on she was sure that she'd discovered the reason as to why Lucy had bested her in her own field of expertise. But if there had been no vampiric abilities used during their match against each other those weeks ago, how had the goth come anywhere close do defeating her? It was a mystery the likes of which Lynn hadn't encountered before. But she wasn't going to lose. Not again. That visual of her younger sister may have troubled her training, but someday it would be gone. She was sure of that. And when it was, she would challenge that girl to a match once again. One that she knew she would win. With her confidence restored, Lynn began to dribble the ball again and started running back across the pavement. And then she stopped. Not from the image of her conquesting opponent, but this time from more physical means. With a screech, Vanzilla pulled into the driveway and skidded to a halt. Lynn barely had time to react before jumping out of the way to avoid getting hit.

"Yo, what the hell are you doin'?" she growled clutching her basketball to her chest. Lori flicked her hair out of her face as she got out of the car.

"Sorry squirt," she apologized from where she looked at the screen of her phone, "In a bit of a conversation with Bobby right now."

"Babe, I'm telling you, you don't have a gray hair," the teenage boy on the other end insisted. Blushing, Lori shut the device down and looked away to spare herself the sight of Lynn's bemused face.

"Besides, why are you so surprised? Vanzilla wasn't around so you should have been ready for it to pull up," Lori scoffed.

"Oh I was ready for it to pull up," Lynn said shaking her head, "but not for it to try to run me over. You just interrupted a pretty good match against Lucy." Lori lifted her brow and looked around at the mention of the name.

"...Lucy?" she murmured, "I don't see her."

"Well of course you can't see her. Only I have been see-seein-er-I'm just...practicing for when I face off against her again," Lynn murmured with a flushed expression.

"And you think you're gonna beat her?...after she whipped your ass into the ground-"

"THAT was just a slipup!" Lynn fumed. Lori rolled her eyes at the insisting denial that the younger girl held.

"I'd reiterate how badly you got beat, but I think I'd need Luan's talents to really drive that point home," Lori said. Murmuring something under her breath, Lynn got back to her dribbling. She nearly turned her attention towards the second floor of the house as a tune from what was undoubtedly Luna's guitar vibrated out from it.

"Kiss me...out of the bearded barley. Nightly, beside the green, green grass," Luna's voice sang barely reaching the ears of the teenager that stood in the driveway, "Swing, swing, swing the spinning step..." As Lynn resumed her match against the imaginary visions of the girl she so eagerly sought to defeat, Lori watched the scene with growing concern. She didn't know exactly why, but the thoughts of the black-haired Loud alongside the soothing melody that Luna rocked into the yard surfaced some lingering tension towards the ill-remembered alliance of their brother and sister those weeks before.

"You wear those shoes and I will wear that dress," the tune played.

"Speaking of Luce...you seen her today?..." Lori asked. Swiftly, Lynn ducked to the side to avoid her latest made-up opponent.

"Sis, the only way I wanna see that girl is in a match begging for mercy," Lynn replied as she threw the ball. In a feat of impossible measures, she darted forward and outsped the ball in order to catch the pass she'd made through the group of opponents she had materialized before her in her head. "All I saw was the usual kids walkin' home from the bus stop. Lincoln was racing the twins, Lisa was scuttling behind em, and Luce, being the creep that she is, went around the back of the garage and got onto the side of the house where she watched whatever was going on inside from the window. Seemed pretty invested in whoever she was looking at." Lori's brows tightened as she looked to the point that she was told Lucy had been viewing the interior from. "Didn't seem focused on the twin's fight in the kitchen though, at least not that I could tell," Lynn informed, "That was obviously them duking it out from the sounds that were being made." Lori's rising suspicion urged her towards the viewpoint that Lynn had informed her of, but with a bit of reluctance she shook the skepticism off.

Who knew what Lucy had been looking at. Yes her partnership with their brother in the "act" they'd put on a few weeks back had been...eerie, but even if they had felt more than just their alliance for each other, it'd been quite some time since the event. And with how distanced they seemed to have been in the weeks following it there was little reason to concern herself with her previous apprehensive nature towards those young hearts. They'd earned some leniency. After shrugging the tempting investigation away, Lori started towards the front door while Lynn launched herself into the air and slammed her basketball through its hoop. Grinning, she caught the object as she landed and threw her fists into the air. Even if it wouldn't be the easiest task in the world to beat that ghastly girl at that game, it might be nice to have someone in the family that could actually test her skills in something.

* * *

A light breeze brushed through the blades of grass on the lawns of the Loud House's street. Over on the block after it a man walked his dog. For around the fifth time in the last two days he pulled as hard as he could to get the pet to keep from digging through the soft earth that a returning family had decided to bury some questionable materials beneath. In light of the individuals that had been found in the weeks following the incident it was more than the right of those that dwelled there to do as they saw fit with what had become their "possessions", but that it made it no easier for those that wished to control the curiosity of their pets. Hoping to put on an air of normalcy, the Yates children tugged the trash bags they'd filled and laid them out on the curb. The garbage truck wouldn't be around for a few days, but with the odor that had set in from the collected rubbish they'd rather have not had it encase their abode. For one girl however, such fragrances were subjects of interest.

"So, whatcha got in there?" Lana inquired. The three kids from across the street stared at her as she crawled down their tree like a lizard and took a sniff at the bag, "Mmm, alright lemme guess...pork tenderloin? Ham sandwiches?" The siblings hardly had time to stop her before she grabbed the case and shook it with her hands. To her surprise a form of deteriorated meat did show from the opening at the top, but not the type that she expected. Loosely the extruded arm fell to her face and dangled in front of her eyes. She blinked a few times before straightening back up and putting her hands on her hips. "Ya know, it works better if ya snap the joints at the elbows and knees before you shove em in," Lana advised. Folding her arms over her chest she looked back to her house in thought. To her luck quite a capable individual seemed to be digging around in the dirt at the front of it. "Yo Lees! You got a second? I think the Yates could use-"

"Sorry, not now," Lisa called back shaking her hand at them, "Just getting these latest samples collected."

"It's bodies!" Lana informed.

"Then just use some high-grade sulfiric acid!" Lisa called back as she put what appeared to be a piece of bone with bits of flesh clinging to it into a test-tube that she capped, "Breaks things down pretty quick!" Lana blinked a couple of more times before turning back to the neighbors and smiling. As Lisa made her way back to the front door she rubbed her chin. "...should I have told them they should put the bodies in a bin or something first?...eh they'll figure it out," she shrugged. Being sure to mind the shotgun that'd fallen over when she'd went outside, she slipped into the living room and started for the stairs, but stopped as she heard her brother's voice.

"Clyde...I appreciate it but...AGAIN...I don't need to eat now," Lincoln sighed looking down at the box of Zombie Bran that showed through his translucent body leaving his friend rubbing the back of his head bashfully.

"Or go to the bathroom," Lucy added from she'd floated up from the basement next to the startled boy. Grinning to each other, the two spectral children clacked their heads together.

"Ghost perks," Lincoln and Lucy said. Rolling her eyes at the morbid humor, the green-clad child made her way up the steps. Having noticed the paused individual, Lucy floated to the doorway and watched as Lola's zombie-defensed Princess Car almost ran Lisa down in the hallway above. With the alarm that the genius reacted with there was something...off about her. Lisa however just sought to get her tasks done and over with. The longer she'd stayed the less appeal she'd found. Royal Woods had certainly been in the process of healing in that world, but the carelessness and macabre that its desensitized citizens seemed more privy towards was not what she would have called welcoming. Avoiding another brush with death from the girly sibling's vehicle, Lisa bent down to a vent that she'd made use of earlier and pulled a rather hefty object out from within it. With all of her might she jumped at the attic staircase that she'd prepared when she'd first arrived and climbed into the upper sanctum of the building.

With a huff she hoisted the large book up into the chamber and looked around. She could only imagine the emptiness Lucy must have felt looking out at the barren landscape from its damaged structure. Even though the young girl knew there was no danger to be had with the threat that her brother and sister had dealt with there weeks before, she still took caution as she approached the fabled trunk that she'd taken the object from originally. For all that it had caused, Lisa did have regrets but knew that science would forever be grateful for the split in time that she'd accidentally caused.

"I guess I should thank you for returning it," a quiet voice murmured. With a scream Lisa jumped into the chest itself causing the book she'd brought to it to fall lifelessly to the floor. Rubbing her head, Lisa poked her embarrassed face back out of the object to see the unamused blankness of Lucy's ghost staring back at her. Muttering something under her breath, Lisa climbed back into the room proper and dusted herself off.

"Yes well...I...I'm sure you understand the sympathies I have towards what happened here," she coughed nervously. Getting no response she shuffled her feet.

"...yes...of course..." the foreign Lucy nodded as she drifted down towards her, "I just have one request now that the book is back." Lisa gave the specter a questionable look. She knew it wasn't her place to cast incrimination given her "crimes", but the pause that the ghost had displayed left a wariness in the genius's gaze.

"...okay, what do ya want?..." she mumbled. With a smile, Lucy took a seat behind the downed piece of literature and pulled the cover open.

"Turn the pages until I say stop," the ghost requested. Though unsure of the intent behind the actions, Lisa knew she owed the spirit and so she did as she was told. With her uncertainty it took more time than either had desired, but eventually the spirit held out her hand and bent over the page. Grinning, she looked back up to Lisa. "Perfect."

"...perfect for...what?" Lisa murmured.

"Oh those that have gone before, please come now to this floor," Lucy's translucent figure read. Lisa took a step back as the spirit threw her hands in the air. "A vessel anew has come, your puppet for whom we've brung," she continued. The scientist felt an odd heat run across her body. Looking to her hand she noticed a faint glow starting to emanate from her form. Fearfully she snapped her attention back to the reciting ghost. The face of Lucy's ghost was painted with an expression of horrifying delight. "Their soul we now offer you, into your service they pledge their due!" her voice seemed to echo throughout the incompatible properties of space that formed the attic, "Rip now their being from their soul, and let undeath take its tol-" Letting out a shrill scream, Lisa tore back towards the steps.

She didn't remember that there was a drop between the bottom of the steps and the second floor of the house below. She didn't care. Not when she'd fallen. Not when she'd narrowly avoided getting rundown by Lola's latest lap around the hallway. Not even when she'd started nursing her bleeding nose once she'd taken refuge within that world's version of her room. All that she cared about was that she had escaped the impending wrath of the ghost that now grinned down at the door she sheltered herself behind. Her panting started to die down as she poked and prodded at the damaged olfactory structure on her face. With a sigh she slumped back against the door and slid to the ground. Just perfect. A broken nose.

"Well...their Lisa should have a portal around here somewhere if Lincoln and Lucy used it to get back home..." she grumbled as she got back to her feet to begin her search. Almost immediately she stopped and looked at her doppelganger that had scuttled over to the intruder.

"Indeed I do," the look-a-like nodded, "But I'd prefer to something in exchange for its use given who you must be."

"Sounds fair," she shrugged and put her finger to her lips, "Perhaps some materials from the Institute..."

"Oh please, I had more than enough to work with when they pooled everything they could into the mall," her counterpart scoffed. Lisa rubbed her chin.

"...you still got the skeleton?..." she asked. With a blush the other Lisa looked to the closet and crossed her arms. "Just asking," she shrugged, "We both know how comforting he can be after the our whole settling down at that place."

"Which means we also know you wouldn't give up your bed buddy. That's just you looking for a way to get back home without paying up," her other self grumbled. Giving an exasperated sigh, the visiting Lisa pulled a large selection of boxes out from her pockets.

"Trade samples?" she suggested. The native Lisa nodded as she produced her own selection from beneath a cloth she had across the table behind her.

"Trade samples," she agreed.

* * *

"Thank you Loud House! G'night!" Luna Loud hollered upon bringing her guitar-pick down a final time. Holding her "horned" fist to the ceiling she listened to the applause before her. It may have been fewer claps than she'd have gotten with an actual audience, but the boy that had been chosen for rehearsal-listening did give the necessary feedback. From the rhythm at which her attending "groupie" put his hands together however, the rockstar could feel some reserve. As the shower of self-adoration waned from her, Luna's confident grin fell into a more deluded smile. Tilting her head downwards she could see the full view of her audience. Alongside Luan's dummy, Lincoln sat smiling as he clapped from her bed. She hadn't expected any reception from the wooden participant, but Lincoln's "cheering" didn't feel as genuine as she'd hoped. The reason she'd called for his attendance was for his honesty. He was always the one of the family that could be depended on for analysis, but if he wasn't giving it fully that'd completely defeat the point. He obviously did have some weight to his actions. There was no doubt about his approval of the performance. But beneath the mask he wore lurked distractions that repressed his full reflection.

"Kay bro, what's eatin' ya?" she asked as she walked over and flopped down next to him, strums vibrating on her guitar from the waves of her arms. Lincoln gave her a confused and shrugged.

"What are you talkin' about?" he asked. Luna rolled her eyes as she struck a few more chords.

"Whatcha mean what am I talkin' about brah? You got that hundred yard stare," she egged on nudging him in the shoulder. Lincoln blinked and shook his head slowly. He hardly even knew what she was referring to. Sure he'd spared some attention to his anticipated activities in his time off from school, but had it been evident enough to address? Who was she to criticize the feedback he gave? He may have...tuned in and out here and there but...he'd paid attention enough to the rehearsal...right? "Bro, I need ya on board if you're gonna be watching. I don't wanna blow it out there on the High School stage next week. Chunk AND Mrs. V are gonna be there dude," she sighed.

"Blow it? Luna, you became Lulu Loud," Lincoln reminded. The rockstar glared at the name as it crossed her ears. "All I'm saying is you were good enough to impress those guys. You're one of the rockingest jammingest girls I've ever seen. You'll be fine," Lincoln told her. She may not have cared for the reminder of her past...issues, but she blushed at the compliments he gave.

"Daw thanks love," she said pulling him into a noogie. Lincoln laughed fighting his way out of the chokehold. He rubbed his throat and straightened his collar back out as he regained his sitting on the mattress.

"Yeah you'll be fine," he sighed. Luna plucked a few more solemn notes as she watched his head dip a bit.

"And you?" she asked. Lifting a brow he looked at her again.

"What do you mean "me"?" he asked. The rockstar raised her lips towards her nose. Normally she could peg when someone was off if she paid attention. But if Lincoln had legitimate confusion over the questioning then some digging needed to be done.

"Well, like I said, you were kind of off in your own little world a bit," she reminded.

"Oh n-nah, I'm just thinking about tonight is all," he replied, "Clyde is gonna be at the arcade and I was worrying about if we'd make it in time. The recital's done though so it should give us a good half hour to get there and meet up with him."

"Always with the schematics and diagrams," Luna mused strumming some more noise for him. It may not have lightened the grimace he gave her but it did help ease the atmosphere. "I'm just messing with ya brah," she joked as she grabbed his shoulder and shook him, "Just haven't seen ya that "out of it" in a few weeks is all."

"I thought I did fine," Lincoln murmured folding his arms over his chest.

"Well yeah but...eh, you'd have had to have seen you to understand," Luna told him. Her strumming slowed as she thought his expression over in her head. It truly had been a convincing face he'd given when she'd questioned him. Part of her goaded her towards believing that she'd just had her assumption wrong. But that bit of her that didn't strove for the understanding that she could normally pick up on. It had been convincing...but it hadn't been his true expression. Even if he didn't realize it there had been more confliction than he'd let on towards his more reserved applause. Her strumming slowed even more as her mind thought back to where she had seen the inner pondering that'd caught her attention on his face before. Her music-making almost came to a stop as her eyes widened in realization while her mind stalled on the "us" in his sentence, but her body forced her to continue the beat to stave off whatever awkwardness might come from the lack of sound. Chuckling to herself, she got up from the bed and waltzed back towards the makeshift stage she'd set up to perform on.

"What're you laughing about?" he asked.

"Oh nothing," Luna replied, "You just have fun at your little date." Scowling at the callous labeling she put on his planned trip, Lincoln got to his feet as well and made his way to the door. She knew he'd get over the jest but the jeering at his perceived underlying contention would have been a travesty to have missed out on. "Romeo," she hummed once he'd gotten out of earshot.

* * *

The dimness of the candlelight danced the shapes of the objects in the room across its walls. Their constant growings and shrinkings provided just enough of a continued illumination for the huddled up figure on the bed on the left side of the divided room to peer across the lines of the pages it held. Their musty fragrance perpetually filtered through the nostrils in front of them, the aroma easing the hardships of life and existence while the eyes took in the knowledge from the slightly crusted paper it dwelt on. The quality of what knowledge they viewed might have looked petty or even insignificant to some, but to the one that read it within that abode it was the world. A flood of experience and indulgence into what normality did not allow. A gateway to what the reader desired. And what they could not have.

An unseen smile adorning her lips, the darkened girl turned the page. For the briefest of moments she'd thought she'd felt something. Something...disrupting. A disturbance in the stilled state of the air if nothing else. Just as quickly as it'd come however it'd calmed back to nothing. Perishing the thoughts of intrusion from her mind, Lucy returned her focus back to the pages before her. Within their parchment she found herself wandering. Not through the words but through the woods. Ever an appropriate setting for the genre she clung to so dearly, she watched as the words played out the vicious scene of fantastic violence in her head. With little regard to its own well-being, the wolf-like humanoid brought its snout down into the hunter's torn neck again. With a grunt and a snap it jerked back its blood-soaked lower face and bit at the chunks of the jugular it had revealed. With enthralled fascination, Lucy propped her mental face up on the hands she rested on a branch below her. Majestically the lupine figure munched and swallowed in its primal feasting. She could make out every strand of fur along its moonlit hide. She would have probably hung on the sentences she'd formed the images from for minutes had a voice not interrupted the serenity of the scene.

"Lucy?" the werewolf said turning its head to her. Uncomfortably she pulled her head back. "Luce?" it said a tiny bit louder. The girl fidgeted as she tried to sort out the odd scene that had emerged in her menality.

"Lucy Loud..." the hunter said in a similar voice looking to her as blood poured from his open wound. "HEY LUCE!" Almost exploding from the suddenness of the shout, the black-and-white girl bounced into the air and fell backwards on her bed in fright. She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before taking a breath and sitting up. In the time that she'd come to analyze the tone of the voice that had been speaking form the characters her story had put into her head, she prepared herself for the boy that she assumed would be waiting at the foot of her bed.

"Er...hey..." Lincoln chuckled softly as he rubbed the back of his head, "...s-sorry for uh...scaring ya..."

"I don't get scared," Lucy claimed. Lincoln's eyes went to his head as he smirked. Putting her book to the side Lucy patted the spot next to her prompting him to sit. "What brings you to my humble dwelling on this eve dear brother?" she asked. It had been some time since they'd entangled each other in their antics, and experience had taught her that he usually had at least something of interest in store.

"Oh nothin'..." he murmured as he rubbed the back of his head again, "It's just...ya know been a while since we...did something together..."

"Yes," Lucy nodded inching her face closer. Realizing the shortened distance between each other the two pulled back with a smiling blush. "Ahem, I mean...that is to say, you are correct..." she murmured tucking her hands between her legs, "Is there...something you wished to um...do?..." Lincoln's smile widened as he looked back at the younger girl.

"Well I was gonna head out tonight and just thought you might...I don't know...might wanna join me in a trip to the arcade?" he suggested. Fidgeting again, Lucy looked to him. He knew that when she was in the middle of a good book most other amenities didn't usually register to her. As she looked at his face though, memories of the Sunday before their...date flooded back to her. She looked to Edwin for assistance in formulating an excuse. Getting nothing but insistence towards tagging along with the older boy she turned her face towards her lap. Of course the vampire knew her well enough to predict her caving resistance towards the notion. But...it was a really good book...and taking a trip to that cascade of lights and noise wasn't exactly the most "gothic" thing she could be entrancing herself with. She knew the other members of the Morticians Club didn't tend to take part in such...happy activities, but every kid enjoyed some part of Gus' Games and Grub. Sure there was that zombie game, but if anyone caught her getting roped into trying to outdo Clyde's, admittedly embarrassing, score on the more "dancey" contraptions of the arcade...

"I got a stack of quarters ready for ya..." Lincoln's voice urged. Pressing her lips together, Lucy looked to his face and blushed at the wink he gave her. Her teeth eased off of the inside of her mouth allowing it to shrink into a small smile as she twirled one of her bangs with her fingers.

"Heartfelt sigh," she said happily, "With you around I might never need a boyfriend..." Lincoln cocked his brow and gave a few blinks before bursting out in laughter at the unexpected comment. It wasn't long before it died back down into chuckling, but as it slowed he made another sound. Feeling the lips that pressed against his he let out a cry of shocked surprise and fell backwards off the bed. From where he'd hit the floor he looked up in bewildered enamor as the pale-skinned girl poked her head out from over the bed to look at him.

"Ha ha," she said emotionlessly through her smiling lips.

-The End-

Dear god. I'm done. FINALLY done. Don't get me wrong, I loved making this and if I had eternity to work with I'd probably keep making fan-stuff, but with this out of the way I can finally get back to the other stuff that I work on (namely my deviant art stuff (and more importantly the comics of my own stuff)). Now I knew this story would take longer than I would have ever wanted it to, but to show how off-schedule I was, the "Halloween" chapter (Royal War Z) was supposed to come out...well...on Halloween. And it came out in like December I think. Which wasn't a surprise to me, I'm used to never meeting deadlines I make for myself, but it did bring everything else that I work on to a screeching halt once I decided to buckle down and finish this thing up. I guess the final thing to show would be this picture I made for the story which you can see on my deviant art account. Just put in the periods and slashes and stuff where they should go to see it:

deviant art warahi art Forbidden-Allure-Loud-House-Fanfic-Cover-836702202

But it's over. Finally. Which is...kind of sad. I mean I'm glad it's done but whenever I have the rare opportunity to do a fanfic I just get to go wild with what I make up. Every story I do is made as sort of a treat for the fans of the series that the story is about. No, I never worked on the Loud House. I might enjoy it, but I've never worked in the actual industry (partly cause I never think I'm good at anything so I never try to get into a line of work I'd actually enjoy, even if deep down I think I could). I do however have an extensive knowledge of any series I make a fan thing about. Before I work on a story I try to gather up as much data as possible and then filter that into what I'm creating to lock it into continuity as best as possible. For the Loud House...that was a bit harder to do than some.

For me it's always easiest to wait for a series to end before working on it so that all the episodes and facts are out there to see. If a series is still going then it's usually kind of hard to predict what's gonna come next which'll throw off my view of how legitimate the story can feel. With how cartoony the Loud House is though makes it not nearly as much of a problem since a lot of stuff just depends on who's writing each individual episode so you get things that are kind of contradictory to begin with in the series if you're paying close attention the entire thing. So I just threw caution to the wind and decided "whatever. If something contradicts it in the future of the series, something contradicts it. Imma make this now".

And the reason I made this story...well...okay, lemme just say this. I don't look up incest stuff normally. I wasn't for it and I wasn't against it. I didn't do this with some intense shipping agenda. I made this story out of hatred. Do I want incest or not want it now?...I don't know. It's not something that really matters to me or that I even think about. But what I do know is one thing I can not stand is censorship. I HATE censorship. The 80s were the absolute worst for American animation in that regard (alongside most all animation in America simply being shit during that period) and it wasn't until the late LATE 80s and early 90s that the people making cartoons finally got fed up enough to do something about it and started making what they actually wanted to make again. And for a time it was a free-for-all. Obviously they couldn't do death or sex or nothin' in children's animation, but the censors were pretty much lifted for a while and it showed just how incredible that freedom could be again after it'd been stomped out over the past few decades. But, as the kids of that time grew up some joined in the eternal cycle of dragging the progress that was made back down during the late 2000s. Right now it's okayish, but it's always been and always will be a constant battle between what is and isn't allowed. Now, obviously, what should be allowed is ANYTHING when you're creating a series or story or whatever. There should be no limitation. But parental worries combined with corporate schematics that have no sense of what entertainment actually is will forever hold that in a chokehold. There can never be true unadulterated freedom when it comes to working in the entertainment industry. It's a near-impossibility, which is sad, but that's reality.

One exception however was the landscape that I've seen grow throughout my lifetime. The internet. My god the internet was such a gift. It was freedom. That was the one untouchable paradise for anyone that wanted to create anything. AMVs? You got it. Fan-works with any material you can think up? It's yours to make. Even to this day a fair amount of the internet remains that Garden of Eden for those that create. But, as with any medium that deals with entertainment, once corporations get involved it all just starts going to hell. Not like other forms of entertainment though. It'd be impossible to put restrictions on the entire internet. But they do try. The most prominent example is probably Youtube ever since Google took over and started warping that place beyond belief. Now everyone tries to get subscriptions and money and all that...bleh. But I'll always remember the days when people just made Let's Plays because that was fun. You made what you did because you enjoyed it. No other reason.

And that is why, when I see people saying "oh you shouldn't make that! That's disgusting!" or "That's way too violent!" or any of that shit it...well it pisses me off. Who the fuck is anybody to badger others about what should and shouldn't be allowed in a piece of entertainment? It's their creation. They're the ones that decide how it should be. Nobody else. They can give their input, but that's all it is. Stating that something absolutely shouldn't be done for petty little morality reasons in FICTION is just...wrong. That's why when I kept seeing complaint after complaint after complaint about the "incest pairings" people did of the Loud House well...I just had enough. I was like "that doesn't matter! If a character ends up with a brother or sister or whatever doesn't mean anything! It's a STORY! It's a piece of ART! It's the creator's choice! What matters is the actual material!". And so I sat there and thought and figured "...yeah...it...doesn't matter...and ya know what...I think I can actually make something to support this case. Yeah, maybe the siblings end up together, maybe they don't. But the question remains. Regardless of what your thoughts on the relationship might be...did you like the story?". Because I know damn well there are things I wouldn't support in real life that I have read good stories of. And no one should be encouraged to be denied the viewing of that material. It's a story, it literally doesn't hurt anybody. You just read it. To take away a piece of entertainment is to take another step towards Fahrenheit 451.

I'm not sure if I'd put Lincoln with ANY of his sisters if there weren't restrictions in the media. I know I'd love an Adult Swim show of The Loud House because...obviously the creators would go wild with what all they'd be allowed to do. Any creator wants that kind of freedom, that's why it was such a joy to see the final season of Samurai Jack. Ignoring whatever views I have on what pairing I'd do though, I took a look through all the sisters and it was almost immediate which one I'd pair him with. Obviously him and Lucy are the closest either of them have to each other when it comes to the family so that's who I went with. From there the story pretty much wrote itself. I had the entire main plot thought out by Chapter 3 I think, though I did add in a few things along the way. Originally Lucy was going to have her basketball match against Lynn about halfway through the first week, but then I came up with Lola's dodgeball revenge to add another adventure to it.

When making stories I try to write them as if they were actual episodes on the show the story's based on to make it feel as authentic as possible, and with the freedom of a fan-work I'm allowed to do everything the creators aren't allowed to. Royal War Z was easily the most violent part of the story, but I originally didn't know if I'd even do that chapter. I had a zombie "thing" as an idea and put the little "Lincoln and Lucy tried to raise the dead in the past" hint in one of the first few chapters to put in an excuse for if I ever decided to do that so that it didn't look like it came out of nowhere. And it turns out I did end up doing it (and even linked Royal War Z back to that incident in the past in a sci-fi split-timeline sort of way). Really all you need to do is come up with a beginning, maybe a middle, and an end and then you just cram in whatever adventures you want inbetween those to stretch it out as far as you want to. The plot-points are there as justification to making whatever else you want to have happen happen.

I do rarely actually complete fanfics. Normally if I start one I'll either end up losing interest or things will be revealed in the show that I'm making it of that contradict the story more than I'd like so I just end up stopping out of annoyance at it not lining up right. So it is such a relief to finally get this one done. Do I support Lucy and Lincoln now? I dunno. To make a story about something you have to become invested in it to do it right, but that's not really my concern. That's part of why I left it up to the fans to decide what comes afterwards in their lives after this story. Maybe they end up together, maybe they don't. That's not my story to tell. My tale is just the two weeks of bonding and romance that the two engage in. Whatever lays ahead of that is yours to decide. I've come up with numerous scenarios for whatever fate that the two have afterwards but those aren't for this fic. Maybe they get together and have Lupa or whatever (and you can't exactly use the genetics excuse for why they shouldn't be together since you have Lisa in the family. She can fix literally any genetic issue) or maybe they just remain extremely close to each other. That isn't my call to make (unless the impossible happens and I decide to make a sequel to this (which I won't. Don't ask. No offense but it ain't happening, I got WAY more stuff to do than work on these stories)).

"Sigh". Well...that was...that was quite the story. I'd say this is easily the best story I've ever done in my opinion. It's not at all the usual material that I work with, but it was fun as hell to do. If you guys made it to the end here well...congrats, you read about...360 pages. So...yeah. Go you. For me I'm just happy to finally have it done. I'm sure at some point I'll come back to read this and see with a fresh pair of eyes but for the time being I have it embedded into my brain. It'll be so relaxing to finally be able to work on my comics or doodle something of Transformers or whatever again. I do hope you all enjoyed though, and for those of you that normally tune in I'm beyond happy to have provided you with entertainment.


End file.
